In memoriam – Leila Potter

“When the Agency started, I wrote everything out by hand but after six months I needed a secretary. The Bunbury Domestic Agency as it was known then, was in business and our slogan was and still is ‘Everybody needs Somebody’.

“Ten years later, I was employing three people and clients and staff were contacting us from all over the UK. As time went by, my mother needed a live-in companion housekeeper. We needed staff that had the skills and experience to look after older people and so I started our ‘Rosy Rota’ Care Service, so named because I love the colour pink!”

Sadly, Leila, my mother passed away peacefully on the day of the Summer Solstice, (also Prince William’s birthday); she adored the royal family. She played such a significant role in the community and was always there to help and support good causes and local people. 

I remember in particular, coming home from boarding school and she was so excited she nearly forgot to collect me from the train. She had just managed to persuade the Crewe & Nantwich Borough Council to install hot running water and inside facilities for the old peoples’ homes in the village. I didn’t understand what all the fuss was about until she told me that they had to go in a shed in the back garden. Of course, I was horrified but immensely proud of what she had achieved. 

As many know, she achieved a multitude of triumphs supported by my father’s amazing logistical skills, e.g., establishing ‘Village Day’ in the grounds of Foxdale. We had a giant marquee in the field for a barn dance in the evening. I think people staggered home well after midnight. 

As her eldest daughter there is little more that I can say that many people don’t already know. She had limitless energy and determination. She stood out in a crowd with her passion for fashion, not always the best time to be a daughter! She lived a long and fruitful life and definitely made her mark on Bunbury and beyond, as well as with her beloved friends and of course, her family. 

May she rest in peace.