Former Wisbech councillor Alan Lay has spoken movingly of his wife Brenda, also a former town councillor, who died earlier this month,

“Brenda, my world, who has been taken from me was the only true love of my life,” said Alan.

“We both knew her days were numbered but it came too soon and too quickly for me to grasp and understand the implications and finality.

“I loved her so deeply, it still really hurts to my very core after two weeks without her.

“We had more than 40 years together in a marriage that had no arguments, just full of delight with each other’s company.”

Alan said: “During our professional working life together we found time to travel most of the world by air, road, rail, river and sea.

“We found each other at a party and within minutes realised we were meant for life together.

“In talking we found we were ships in the night, we grew up in the same area, shopped in the same High Street, Walthamstow, went to the same dance and roller skate rink.

“And how about this, she was selling ice creams in the cinema that I always went to.

“We had the same tastes in music and opera arias. We have a great collection.

“We were absorbed by art, drawing, painting, sculpture and clay modelling.

“We also found that we were both interested in the experience of life, plus an interest in the sciences and the early history of our planet that made us tolerant of religious beliefs, but we were both non-believers.”

He concluded: “I miss her so very much, and yet I am happy that I had the privilege to meet and marry my world in one, named Brenda.”

Both served on Wisbech Town Council although Brenda lost her seat in 2016 after falling foul of the six- month rule for non-attendance.

However, other councillors said that she could have applied for special dispensation to remain during her period of illness. She fought for access to buildings and shops, particularly the town hall which she could only enter with the aid of improvised ramps.“There was so much that I wanted to do, being disabled I could have made a difference. But no, I’m out of it, I’m different, I’m on my own, they couldn’t take that, so they found a jolly good reason to get rid of me.”