Nell Whittingham obituary

My friend Nell Whittingham, who has died aged 96, relished adventure. When her husband Barrie’s career took their family to Zambia in the 1960s they had a Piper Tri-Pacer aircraft and flew the Flying Doctor service – Nell also helped with weather reports and logistics. In the 70s they lived in Swaziland and Sudan, then Nigeria, where Nell set up a weather station to monitor wind for the Savannah Sugar Factory. During a stint in Papua New Guinea, she renovated a dug-out canoe and sailed in shark-infested waters. In 1980 Nell and Barrie moved to Foggathorpe, East Yorkshire, where she discovered the 11th-century Norman church of All Saints, Aughton, where later she became churchwarden for more than 30 years. In the 80s Nell gained a certificate in social studies at Hull University, then a degree in social policy and administration, and master’s degrees in care for the elderly, and managing change. She then worked (1989-91) as unit manager for Bridlington Mental Health Resource Base, and resource manager (1991-92) for Grimsby Mental Health Resource Base. She won the East Riding of Yorkshire council chairman’s community award, and in 2020 was awarded Maundy Money from Queen Elizabeth II