Bude woman's large collection of fine clothes donated to charity

Ken Watts said his wife Joan was always well-dressed

The family of a Bude woman say donating her large collection of high-quality clothing to charity after her death has helped them deal with their loss.

Joan Watts left four wardrobes full of clothes when she died in November after several years of living with dementia.

Her husband Ken, 91, has now given her cherished outfits to local charities after an appeal on social media.

The couple were married for 67 years and lived all over the world before retiring to north Cornwall.

On her wedding day in 1956, Joan Watts wore a suit rather than a wedding dress

Mr Watts said his wife, who was 92 when she died, was always a snappy dresser and his globetrotting career with the Army gave her ample opportunity to indulge her passion for fashion.

• LISTEN: Ken and Alastair Watts talk to BBC Radio Cornwall

"She used to love the dressing-up and was always attending these parties and talking to her friends," he said.

Joan Watts in the 1970s

Mrs Watts was in her eighties when she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, and she spent her last few years in a care home.

Her son Alastair posted on Facebook seeking advice on what to do with his late mother's clothes, some of them brand new with labels still attached.

He said he was inundated with suggestions, and the town had shown "remarkable community spirit".

'What mum would have wanted'

The finer items will be auctioned online and the proceeds donated to charity, while a batch of unworn jumpers will be wrapped up as individual gifts.

Her son said: "If an elderly lady who has got dementia gets that at Christmas as a present in one of the hospitals or care homes, she's going to love it.

"It's exactly what mum would have wanted."

Alastair Watts (right) has been helping his dad deal with his mum's clothing

The clothes have been shared between Bude-Stratton community hospital and the Bude Cornwall Hospice Care shop, where one of the volunteers Verity Perkins was delighted at the quality of the items.

"It helps us do really lovely displays and people always come back with their stories of where they've worn special items" she said.

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