TRIBUTES have been paid to ‘the most kind-hearted and loving person you could ever meet’.

Sylvia Jones was the loving wife to the late Brian, treasured mum to Tony, devoted grandma to Victoria and Caroline, dear mother-in-law to Elizabeth and a good friend to many.

The 84-year-old died peacefully on November 22.

She was born in County Durham and grew up in a farming family in Wolsingham and had one older sister, three brothers and two half-brothers.

Son Tony has paid tribute to his mum, who worked for 25 years at Boots Chemist in Victoria Square as a shop assistant.

He said: “She met my dad in the 1950s. He had come from Farnworth and they moved into a brand new house on Crummock Grove in 1961 and never moved.

“She worked at Boots store in the home and gardens section.

“They used to sell home brewed beers and wines in the 1980s.

“She ended up bringing them home with her and had a little bit of a micro brewery in our house with gallons of wines and beers which she would give them away to friends and family.

“I can remember when I was young that I could hear the glugging of the beers and wines when I went to bed.”

Tony added that she adored ‘anything living whether it be plants and trees or animals and of course doted on her grandchildren’

“She was a full-time grandma looking after my daughters and both her and my dad doted on them.

“I would often ring her up and say, can we have our children back please.

“She used to catch buses to take them anywhere and she took them horse-riding and took them a flask of drink and some butties.”

Sylvia loved animals which brings back memories for Tony.

“We lived on Crummock and a cat landed on our doorstep and we called it Bimbo and looked after it.

“But it had not been neutered so it had four kittens and she tried to find new homes for them but did not like the people who came so she kept them.

“We ended up with six cats over the years.

“We also had a hedgehog which kept coming back for food and then we had a stoat and even a horse stayed in our garden for while.”

Donations in loving memory of Sylvia to the RNLI or Cats Protection. All enquiries to Deighan’s Funeral Parlour, 81 Mason Street, Horwich, Bolton, BL6 5RB. 01204 694999.