POPULAR Newport landlady, Olive Gladys Richards — known as 'Midge' — has died aged 88.

Mrs Richards, formerly Gustar nee Pocock, became the landlady of the Princess Royal, Newport, from 1961 to 1981.

She was born in Dinglers Farm, Yarmouth Road, on January 6, 1932 ­— the fourth of five children to Arthur and Irene Pocock.

Her father, Arthur, took one look at her, and said 'we’ve got a right midget here', so the affectionate moniker, Midge, stuck.

Mrs Richards attended school in the West Wight ­— she was a fast runner, a strong mathematician and an avid reader.

She left school at 14, and worked in Russells in Newport, where she met her first husband, John Gustar.

They married in 1956, and ran a cafe at the top of Newport High Street ­together.

Daughter Pauline arrived in 1957, and the family briefly moved to Royal Exchange, where their son, John, was born in 1960.

They moved to the Princess Royal in 1961, and added to the family with daughter Pam.

Midge mostly ran the pub, while John went out to work. She was proud that she ran the pub for 20 years and didn’t drink or smoke.

They had a good clientele of regulars, and their darts teams proved successful, winning numerous cups and trophies.

John died in 1971, and Midge married Fred Richards in 1973.

In 1981, the pub closed and they moved to Worsley Road, with Mrs Richards working in retail.

Fred died in 2016.

In 2017, Mrs Richards suffered a minor stroke. Her dementia worsened, and she moved into Cornelia Manor Residential Care Home later that year.

Mrs Richards leaves her three children, eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren, as well as her brother, Ted, and sister, Kay.

Her funeral is on Friday, March 13, at the IW Crematorium, at 3.45pm, followed by a wake at Newport Conservative Club.

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