My grandmother, Hazel Jenkins, who has died aged 93, was a socialist with a deep commitment to the values of fairness and equality. Her belief in standing up for what was right inspired me to enter local politics.
From 2008 to 2018 she raised tens of thousands pounds for charities and her local church, running a charity stall in Pontypool market, south Wales, with her friend Ceinwen Parker.
She played a large part in all my favourite childhood memories. A whirlwind of grit and generosity, she conjured magic from elderflowers, blackberries and fabric scraps. Her home was a sanctuary, where roast lamb dinners and milky tea were constantly served.
Hazel was born on a smallholding in Cwmavon, near Abersychan, Torfaen, to Bertha (nee Williams) and William John Gulliford, a poultryman who travelled all over the eastern south Wales valleys to kill pigs and poultry for farmers.
At 14, after Victoria Village school, she began working at the canteen in Tirpentwys colliery, walking miles each day to serve miners. There, she met a dashing soldier, Thomas Jenkins; they married in 1949, when she was in her late teens. She raised eight children over 13 years. Her story is emblematic of the working-class women of her era, whose labour, both seen and unseen, underpinned family and community life.
Hazel endured personal losses with dignity, including the deaths of her husband, a grandson and a daughter. Her mantra “never explain, never complain” reflected a life of quiet strength.
Although she lived her whole life in Victoria Village, my grandmother’s adventures extended way beyond the family home. Later in life, she travelled widely and I loved hearing her tales of Israel, north Africa and New York.
She had a wonderful sense of humour and mischief. A devoted admirer of Diana, Princess of Wales, at a Buckingham Palace garden party in 2013 she voiced her opinions about a particular royal a little too loudly, leaving me scrambling to avoid a diplomatic incident.
Thomas died in 1998. Hazel is survived by seven children, Lynette, Marilyn, Julie, Karen, John, Mervyn and Gwyn, 23 grandchildren, and three half-siblings, Anthea, Ron, and Adrian.
