Christine was born in the bustling North Devon market town of Barnstaple in 1927. Her parents both came from Devonian families going back for generations and who were very active in the local community.

Christine’s talent for forging life-long friendships began at primary and then grammar school, where she also developed her love of literature and sport, but she couldn’t wait to get away from her mother’s anxious eye and the social and cultural limitations of provincial town life.

To her surprise, her father supported her wish to go to university in London, and she won a place at University College to read English. London was everything Christine hoped it would be and she made further long-term friends at university. First living in digs and then sharing a flat in Hampstead, she was able to pursue her passion for the theatre, especially Shakespeare, and revelled in the range of culture on offer, developing a love of French films which were unlikely to have made it down to Barnstaple.

Christine met her future husband Henry Thomas at university. They married in March 1955 before leaving for what was then Malaya, where Henry took up a post in the Malay government. Although the Emergency was at its height, they lived in a relatively peaceful suburb of Kuala Lumpur for the next three years. Christine took a teaching post at the Malay Girls College and their daughter was born on the last day of 1955.

After a short spell in England, Henry’s next posting to Indonesia, this time working for the British Council, was less peaceful. They lived in Djakarta through the troubled times leading up to the attempted coup and overthrow of President Sukarno, and Christine returned to England with their daughter while Henry continued to live abroad.

The marriage formally ended in 1966 and Christine began life as a single mother in London. After a brief office job, Christine took up a post teaching English at Paddington and Maida Vale High School which turned out to be the most professionally fulfilling period of her life. She thrived in the progressive environment, forging firm friendships with fellow teachers, some of whom are here today. Christine later taught English at Palmers Green High School in Enfield, before retiring.

Christine always maintained a strong connection with her family and friends in the west country, holidaying regularly on Exmoor where she loved to be out of doors, walking or just enjoying the air and sunshine. In London, as a dedicated sun-worshipper, she would go for walks on the Heath, making acquaintance with other regular walkers, but above all it was the theatre and the stimulating company of her friends that made London her home.

Christine’s health began to deteriorate rapidly over the past winter to the point that at the end of March her friends Judy and Dick found her in a state of collapse and called an ambulance. She was taken to the Royal Free Hospital where, after more than two months on life support, during much of which Christine was unconscious, she was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease.

Christine regained consciousness and became fully aware of her circumstances. Most importantly, these past months have been a testament to the value of true friendship. Christine could not have been more aware or have responded more positively to the close friends whose regular visits and care helped her to confound the medical prognosis by surviving much longer than expected without life support.

Christine supported a wide range of arts organisations and charities, from the Mare and Foal Sanctuary in Devon to the Iran Liberty Association, supporting human rights in Iran. The Motor Neurone Disease Association was not among those charities. However, through the generosity of friends and family £350 (please update, as necessary) has now been raised for MNDA in her name, for which Victoria would like to thank you on her behalf.

A selection of tributes

‘Christine and I go back a long time and I remember how she missed a New Year's Eve party we were giving jointly in our house because she was welcoming [her daughter] into the world. We had lots of happy times together in Malaya, subsequently sharing a house in Hatch End . . . and later frequently visiting each other in Denham and North End Road.

I twisted her arm into becoming a teacher in Malaya when we were posted to Penang a term before the exam, and there was no one to take over my School Certificate English teaching.’

I'm so glad I was able to see her in hospital at the end.’ MM

I was very fond of Christine and I will remember her as being vivacious with sense of mischief. HH

‘I shall miss [Christine] enormously because no matter how grim old age was turning out to be we always ended up laughing. If you want a short sketch of our friendship, this is what I would like to say to her: “Christine, over 60 years is a good length of time for a friendship and I think we covered a lot of good times and bad times together, but mostly good. We laughed so much about the things and people, and had so many experiences from our beginning days at the National Book League. Thank you, dear Christine, for being such a long-time friend. I shall miss you. Such happy memories and no bad ones!”’ SL

‘I taught with [Christine] at Padders and Madders for four years. [She] was the life and soul and teaching was fun in the 60s. We've met up at our annual reunions and done a few theatre trips. She was a lovely woman and we shall all miss her.’ JN

Christine was a close and dear friend for more than fifty years. She had a vivid and distinctive personality, enormous culture and was a great enjoyer. I gained far more from our friendship than she did, as I got to know so many of her friends.
We used to go to the theatre together and retained quotations from each of two plays we saw about forty years ago, but which still made us laugh. Christine introduced me to Stratford where we spent a wonderful couple of days. She always referred to Shakespeare as "The Bard".

She was a great dog-lover and her last dog, Jemmy, was the only one I've ever loved.
I know Christine will be much missed by all who knew her. AE

‘I am glad that Christine's wonderful, vibrant spirit did not have to endure the horrors of MND for too long. She was much loved in this house, I have very fond memories of her. When I first moved to London I was staying in a really horrible hostel; Chris took me in as one of her lodgers had just left and even though she really needed a breathing space she came to my rescue; then she found me a room to rent before I could get into a flat of my own. I remember her having such a good time at my wedding, and have a beautiful photo of her in deep conversation with my nephew Dan who was then about 15.’ CB

‘I only met [Christine] three times but from the instant we met I thought what a lovely lady she was. She seemed very kind and had a lovely sense of humour.’ RE

‘My big memory of Christine was in Cyprus, in a car on the way back from a village festival, shouting “Aviva” at the top of her voice. Precious to me.’ TE

‘Christine, you were a true English Lady with an amazing spirit for life. I will never forget you and will remember you always especially during Wimbledon. Thank you for your friendship over the years.’ CH

‘We are privileged to have enjoyed your friendship, it is so very hard to accept that you are no longer there. We think of all the fun and laughs we had, the theatre outings you organised, good-bye my dear friend, we shall miss you.’ M and AK