A ONCE popular pianist who was known for playing in the pubs she lived and worked in has died.

Bessie O’Dea moved to Harwich aged ten with her family, who took over the Alma Inn in King’s Head Street.

As a child she taught herself to play to pub’s piano and began to play in the bar.

After her school days she worked and lived at the family’s pub and even giving birth to her first daughter, Frances, there.

Frances Amner said: “In the wartime years, or before that, any new music that cane out she would have learnt it by ear before the sheet music came out.

“It was a popular pub because of the modern music.

“She married my dad, Denis, who was in the Royal Navy, in 1946 and I was born in the front bedroom in 1948.”

After the great flood in 1953, the family moved to The Royal pub in Main Road, Dovercourt.

Bessie worked at the bar with her husband and played piano.

But when the family left the pub business, Bessie moved in with her daughter before moving to her own flat in King’s Quay Street where she lived for about 30 years.

“A lot of people knew her as the lady that sat in the window who waved,” Frances added.

“She played darts for the Stingray Ladies Dart team up until two years ago.

“But then she was getting quite weak and the darts wouldn’t stay in the board when she threw them - she then sold raffle tickets instead.

“She was a bubbly person, was always happy and never complained.

“She used to do the shopping for her friends and cared for friends who were younger than her.

“She would always want to do everything fir everybody else.”

Bessie died suddenly aged 96 of heart failure on Friday.

She leaves two daughters, Frances and Janet, five grandchildren and four great grandchildren.