So the flood has claimed a confirmed victim. With the sad death of Freda Fry, Ambridge has lost a staunch member of the WI and the church flower rota. And the annual Flower and Produce Show will never see her like again.
I asked Eric Allan (Bert Fry - pictured) what it’s been like having a silent radio wife. He said: “Well of course, she’s only silent for the listener. She’s never been silent for me. I’ve always had a strong impression of her as a real person. It’s not a visual image, it’s emotional – a very strong feeling of her presence.
“I think Bert will be totally devastated by the loss – I was when I learned the news. It will take him a long time to recover. He’s got a week or so in the run up to the funeral and then I really wonder how he’s going to cope. They’ve been together so long, it’s like they’re two halves of the same person.”
A few facts about Freda
- Bert and Freda’s honeymoon was in Llandudno.
- They spent their golden wedding in India (paid for by their son Trevor).
- But they could never go back to Filey...
- Freda was a light sleeper.
- And was anti-hunting.
- She became niggly when the weather was close, according to Bert.
- Freda liked things done the way she had always done them. Both the Bull kitchen and her home were a well-oiled machine.
- Freda’s hotpot recipe is in St. Stephen’s cookbook.
- Freda’s favourite film was Guys and Dolls.
- In 1998 Freda was the Fairy in the village production of Jack and The Beanstalk – but she didn’t want to wear a tutu.
- She made her own remedies.
Keri Davies is an Archers scriptwriter and web producer.
Learn more about Freda and Bert in our Who’s Who
NB: This blog post has been edited since it was first published. Previously there was a reference made in the opening paragraph to the effect that Lynda's beloved dog, Scruff, might be lost in the Ambridge flood. We now know that Scruff eventually returned to his home at Christmas in 2015.
