The family of Elizabeth Taylor - wife of the late BBC Radio Norfolk presenter John Taylor and Norwich High School For Girls teacher - have paid tribute to her following her death at the age of 90.
Elizabeth Anne Castell Spalding was born in Melrose Road, Norwich, on August 25, 1932 to Tom and Muriel Spalding. She had a younger brother, Christopher, who died in 2020.
Elizabeth was educated at Avenue Road School and the Norwich High School for Girls (NHS), where she excelled at sport.
She won the Norfolk women’s 100 yards championship in the early 1950s, and represented Norfolk at athletics.
But according to her son David, her greatest sporting achievements were on the lacrosse field, where she played for Norfolk, the Eastern Counties team and on one occasion for England Reserves.
She then undertook a teaching diploma at Bedford College of Physical Education in 1950 before teaching sport and P.E. for four years at Portsmouth High School.
Returning to Norwich in 1957 to work for the NHS, she very soon met John Taylor - who worked for Norwich Union - whom she married in 1959 at St Thomas Church in Earlham Road.
The couple shared three children - David, Judith and Michael.
After spending the early 1960s bringing up her children, Elizabeth returned to the NHS to work in its Stafford House preparatory department and eventually became its deputy headmistress.
In the mid-1980s, John retired from Aviva and began a new career at BBC Radio Norfolk - and was awarded an MBE in 2000 for services to local broadcasting.
At the time Elizabeth gave up her teaching post and studied for a degree in European History at the University of East Anglia (UEA) in 1984 at the age of 52.
She revelled at the opportunity to visit Italy and - alongside women 30 years younger than herself - to turn out for the UEA lacrosse team. She graduated with a two-one in 1987.
Elizabeth enjoyed a long retirement. Alongside supporting John in his career and devoting herself to her seven grandchildren, she became a stalwart of the Norwich Writers’ Circle, went on walking holidays with friends and was actively involved in St Thomas Church, as well as singing in several choirs.
Following John's death in 2006, she embarked on what son David calls "an extraordinary swansong", taking a course in dance drama and in 2010 - at the age of 78 - securing a leading role in Smith dance theatre's production of Agnes and Walter: A Little Love Story, which debuted at the Norwich Playhouse and then toured the UK.
Determined to keep fit Elizabeth played tennis until the age of 84 when she broke her leg on the tennis court and exercised at a local gym until the age of 86.
David said of his mother: "She blossomed in her later years in dance and drama especially.
"It defined her in a way.
"She was quiet and kindly while my father was the larger-than-life character.
"She was a supportive presence and dutiful but really came into her own as she grew older.
"In the 16 years after my father died she created a whole new little world for herself which was great."
Elizabeth died at the Olive House care home, Newton Flotman on November 11 aged 90.
"After she died we found drafts of novels she'd been trying to write and powetyr she'd published in anthologies," David added.
"There was a real creative spirit that she had."
Elizabeth is survived by her children David, Judith and Michael and her grandchildren Felix, Zosie, Sam, Benjamin, Oliver, Xanthe and Leo.
To pay tribute to a loved one email norfolktributes@archant.co.uk
To read more obituaries and tributes join the Facebook group Norfolk's Loved & Lost.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here