Talented artist and Horton worker, whose authority in the maternity hospital ensured Banbury mums-to-be got prompt attention, has died aged 88

Mrs Allen lived in the village for more than 50 years. She was a former chair of the parish council and securing protection for three green spaces in the village and campaigning to get street lights installed.

For over 20 years she was a trustee and Treasurer of the Christabella Seye and Sele Trust which provides funds for Bishop Carpenter CE Primary School and the village community in times of need. During this time Margaret and the other trustees obtained registered ownership of the school's land, preserving a village asset for future generations.

Many friends and neighbours gathered last Friday for a celebration of Mrs Allen's life at St Mary's House, Broughton, where she had held a popular calligraphy class.

Mrs Allen, who had a wicked sense of humour and an overriding sense of care and commitment to public service, was described as 'the embodiment of the village' by a neighbour who was a junior doctor at the time of her arrival in north Oxfordshire.

"She arrived in North Newington as an indomitable Brummie. She was a freshly single woman at a time when this was a considerable disadvantage. At that time mortgages were not readily available to women; they usually required a male counter signatory. I am not sure which building society received Margaret’s concerted attentions but I think they must have ended up becoming one of the first to be forced to abandon this convention and Margaret moved into the village," he said.

"Margaret was initially a medical secretary at the Horton but rapidly moved her organisational skills to the Maternity Hospital where she formally managed appointments and records. This is where I first met her in 1980 and when I say that she formally managed appointments this was a gross understatement. As a junior doctor, if Margaret said a woman needed attention now there was very little point in arguing and woe betide you if you removed a set of notes in the night and hadn’t reported it to her first thing in the morning.

"But everyone knew this was because she would stop at nothing to do what she considered was the right thing by her ladies. Obstetrics was very hierarchical at that time but even the near-to-God consultants greatly respected Margaret."

Mrs Allen met Bill, who worked at Newington Grounds Farm and the two married. She rapidly got involved with supporting the village in many areas and would work assiduously for what she considered right.

"For years she worked on the parish council where she managed to get the three pieces of village green protected and also helped to bring in street lighting. When she joined forces with Dorothy Huggins, an indomitable Geordie, there was no stopping them. The Ladies Club (not WI) was formed, they started the village pantomime and the village fetes which grew into the Village Improvement Group," said her neighbour.

Margaret Allen's artistic skills were diverse, from poetry - which was often humorous - to her calligraphy and painting, which she had taught at a local college before retirement. In her usual public-spirited way this led to her starting the groups at St Mary’s House to support others in these activities.

Close neighbour Alex Dawson said Mrs Allen had enriched the fabric of the community with her passion for rallying the residents behind good causes.

"Last Friday's event was a joyous opportunity for her many friends to gather and listen to poems and songs that she particularly liked including one she wrote herself - The Tale of Robert Hyde - a humorous tale of a man who attends his own funeral as a ghost," he said.

"There were eulogies from close friends and there was much laughter, smiles and tears as they remembered her amazing life and achievements. The Rev Neil Bowler spoke on behalf of St Mary's Church and St Mary's House and thanked Margaret for her contributions to both over many years.

"As well as being a poet, Margaret was a talented artist and some of her paintings and calligraphy were displayed at the event including a collection of watercolours she painted, many depicting Florence and Venice, two cities she loved and visited regularly."

Mrs Allen was integral in planning the event herself and left detailed instructions for her friends and neighbours to follow; she even managed to arrange the weather - at 12pm on the dot, the rain clouds parted and bright sunshine bathed St Mary's House for the rest of the afternoon.