THE lead car in Vera Mytton's funeral cortege tomorrow (Friday) will be her beloved bright red sports car, a passion she was able to indulge thanks to her successful catering hire business, Cater-Hire, based on the Rotherwas Industrial Estate.

Vera, who died unexpectedly last weekend at the age of 59, played an essential role on many happy occasions, providing a friendly, efficient service at wedding receptions and parties throughout Herefordshire.

Her own big day took place on her 20th birthday in 1964 when she married Denville Mytton on his 22nd birthday in Ludford Church. The honeymoon was briefly interrupted for Vera to enter, and win, her second beauty contest - Miss British Rail, Shrewsbury. She had previously been crowned Miss Shropshire.

Two victories were enough, though, and Vera gave up the beauty business to raise her two sons, Richard and Nigel, who still live close to their parents' home in Holme Lacy Road.

For 10 years from 1972, the family ran a pub in Cambridgeshire, but Vera and Denville moved back to Hereford with the boys to start D&D Catering Equipment, later to become Cater-Hire.

The funeral takes place tomorrow, March 12, at 2.30pm at St Martin's Church, and afterwards at the Gamecock, Holme Lacy Road.