Tragedy of flood death flatmate of Wootton Bassett woman (From This Is Wiltshire)

Tragedy of flood death flatmate of Wootton Bassett woman

3:48pm Thursday 11th March 2010 in

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The lifelong friend of a woman killed in floods in Yorkshire last week has revealed how much she will miss her ex-flatmate.

Josie Lewis, 57, of Wootton Bassett, met Vanessa Robson, from Beverly, Yorkshire, when they were working in London in the 1970s.

Mrs Robson, 53, died on Friday, February 26, when her Landrover was swept away in Cropton Forest as she attempted to cross a ford which had been enlarged due to heavy rain.

Mrs Lewis said: “Her mum said she had been through that ford thousands of times.”

Mrs Lewis met her friend when they were working in London in 1975. She was working at the Sunday Times and Mrs Robson was a caterer at London Zoo.

Mrs Lewis said: “I met her in London and we lived together for three years.

“I used to work at the Swindon Advertiser as a copy taker and then got a job at the Sunday Times.

“We lived in Bayswater and then in Northumberland Place.

“She was lovely and everybody liked her. She always had a positive outlook on life.

“She was always cheerful and an excellent cook.”

Mrs Robson had three children and was married to Ian.

Her friend Josie had been to see her in Yorkshire and Mrs Robson had visited Wiltshire to meet Mrs Lewis’ family.

Mrs Lewis said: “Her parents had a farm and Vanessa bought the house next door.

“We always wrote, and I kept meaning to go up again and visit her.”