A Weobley woman, who won the hearts of fellow villagers not to mention the nation when she appeared on BBC TV’s The One Show three years ago, has died after a short illness.

The popular teatime programme, filmed in and around Weobley in 2016, was to make shopkeeper Anne Preece something of a local celebrity. She was praised for her care of the village where she lived and worked for much of her life, and she featured in a televised re-enactment of one of famous Herefordshire folklorist Ella Mary Leather’s recorded stories.

During the BBC’s coverage, veteran journalist John Sergeant was shown visiting Anne’s well-known shop – a front room in her Portland Street home. He was non-plussed when Anne disappeared from view to find a comb from one of the shop’s lower shelves. She also starred as a troublesome spirit in a representation of Mrs Leather’s tale about a Weobley man afflicted with a wart.

Anne was born in Dilwyn and attended school at Weobley. Her teacher took the train from Hay-on-Wye to Moorhampton station, where she caught the school bus on to Weobley. Later Anne began work at Edges’ store in Weobley, cycling from her Dilwyn home at 5am in order to prepare the daily newspapers for delivery. After the death of her employer Cliff Edge, Anne opened her own little shop in the same street, selling a variety of goods from wellington boots, kitchen scourers, combs, beans, peas and onion sets.

In the parish magazine, ‘Magpie’, Anne advertised her business, drawing attention to a range of china mugs “with birds on them”.

Said Weobley parish councillor Pru Lloyd: “Anne had a well-stocked shop where you could buy all sorts of things, and you would never get out without having draw tickets foisted on you!” She said that Anne was an inveterate ‘weeder’. “She always weeded the Rose Garden in the middle of the village and weeded in Bell Square and out on the Kington road.” Care of the bus shelter was also a responsibility Anne took on voluntarily.

“She was definitely a character,” she added.