Pontefract legend Joan Senior dies after 55 years of service to stable staff

Northern racing has lost a lady who gave more than half a century of service to the sport following the recent death of Pontefract stalwart Joan Senior at the age of 89.

Senior and her husband, Ron, lived and worked on the racecourse from March 1961 to March 2016, during which time Joan ran the stable staff canteen and hostel while Ron, who survives his wife, was employed as the track's head groundsman.

In 2011 the couple, married in 1952, were honoured for their outstanding achievements at Racing Welfare's Pride of Racing Awards, where Joan told the audience: "Words fail me. I must be mad working at my age, but I enjoy it."

Senior was also born in Pontefract and attended a school situated almost opposite the racecourse which became her home.

Pontefract managing director Norman Gundill said: "Joan was such a very nice lady and she lived for the job. An awful lot of people who come to Pontefract knew her and were looked after by her.

"All her food was homemade, including the bread and cakes, and it was all so good that if anything was left at the end of the day it was invariably taken home by stable staff."

Senior's family funeral will take place on Thursday, May 18.

Death of Cheltenham icon

Nigel Dimmer, who supplied trophies and was a familiar face at Cheltenham racecourse for 45 years, has died.

Dimmer, known distinctly for always wearing a bowler hat, was custodian of trophies at the racecourse from the days of Arkle up until retiring in 2010.

In 1959 he became a partner with brother Ian in the family business Martin & Co, in Cheltenham town centre, and the jewellers have been responsible for creating the Gold Cup every year since 1935.

Dimmer is survived by widow Sally and three daughters.