Page 7 - Thrapston Life January 2025

Many people have contributed to this appreciation, with special thanks to members of T.A.D.S., the Royal British Legion, Val Carter and June Davy. These words are a compilation from many sources, the main one being Prue’s own words written after she resigned as a Town Councillor in 2015 and detailing much of her life, a copy
of which I am fortunate to have. The picture of her is from the TADS website, to whom I give thanks.
An appreciation for the life of
PRUDENCE
GOSS
1930-2024
Prue was born on 11th August 1930 in the back bedroom of 34 Market Place (now High Street), the youngest of three daughters born to John and Elsie Goss who owned the shop Goss Bros. Until its closure in 1999, the shop was a well- known local source of many, often obscure, items as well as a variety of pocket money toys, wool, knitting patterns and a plethora of ‘you name it, it was probably there’ items.
and lived the rest of her life here.
Prue is renowned locally for her continued
service to the community. It is thought that she became member of TADS in 1947, making her the longest serving member ever and appeared on stage between 1951 and, even in this year’s production, her portrait appeared as part of the scenery. There is a tribute to her on the Society’s website at tadsthrapston.org.uk.
In 1951 she was elected Chairman of the local branch of the Young Conservatives.
In 1965 her father died, and her sister Paddy returned to help with the shop, which they jointly took over later that year when their mother died. The shop became a bit of a community hub, being the place to book medical loans and pitches on the multi-use-games area (now the site of Thrapston Tennis Club).
Prue was elected to Thrapston
Parish Council in 1970 where she served for 45 consecutive years and was five times Chairman of the Council and Town Mayor. She also was an elected member of Oundle and Thrapston Rural District Council for four years, until the RDC was abolished in 1974. The photo (top right)
is of the Town Councillors in 1982, Prue being in the back row second from the right (Town Council Archives).
Pictured in 1999, it became Tasty Bites café and is now Bennett’s.
She entered Huntingdon Road
Primary School aged four years, then
on to Kettering High School. She was
in the 5th form when War ended and
progressed to the 6th form to sit her
Higher School Certificate. On ending her
school career, Prue decided to ‘do her bit’
for the country whilst the boys did their National Service. She joined the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, the forerunner of the WRAF, serving
in Cheshire, Suffolk, Norfolk and finally the underground operations control room in London as a ‘Clerk Special Duties’. Prue always marched in the Thrapston Remembrance Day Parade and was very supportive of the RBL poppy appeal. She returned home to help her mother run the shop
Prue is renowned locally for her continued service to the community
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