A woman who sold cockles every Saturday in the middle of Shirehampton for decades became such a beloved member of the community that a mural of her is being unveiled this weekend - in the spot where she used to sit.
The story of Lillian Rees and how she became such a part of the fabric of the community - without ever living there - is quite a remarkable one. As is the mission that a group of men - who remembered her from their childhoods - embarked on to create a permanent tribute to the 'Cockle Lady of Shire', without even knowing who she was.
The Cockle Lady, as she was known, was a fixture of the community for decades after the Second World War, and became something of a local legend, but 70-odd years after she first arrived, she was fading in the collective memory of the community in Shirehampton. But with a bit of determination and detective work, the group of men - who went from Portway School to work at the docks - pieced together everything they could find out about her, and have brought together two communities 85 miles apart.
