The daughter of a writer and broadcaster who has died at the age of 93 has paid tribute to her mother’s passion for journalism in later life – prompted by her husband’s fascination for boating which left her a ‘sailing widow’.

The Comet: Christine FaggChristine Fagg (Image: Archant)

Christine Fagg, born in Ipswich in 1921, married Dr Grahame Fagg in 1941 before settling in Hitchin after the Second World War.

Christine’s daughter Vicki Fagg said: “Mum and dad were thrilled to live in Priory Way, Hitchin, which had everything for them – charm, access to lovely countryside and a good community feel – and back in the early 1950s the town also had an ice rink and two cinemas!

“Mum had a wonderful circle of friends. She had four children, and we all attended St Christopher School in Letchworth.

“Christine adored bargain hunting in Hitchin’s huge twice weekly market and in its antique shops. She was involved in the Women’s Institute and St Ippolyts Church, where she regularly did the flowers.

“While my parents had a wonderful, loving marriage, mum didn’t share dad’s obsession for sailing.

“Her new career in the 1960s was sparked by her determination to make the best of being a ‘sailing widow’.

“She bought a touring caravan, joined the Caravan Club and began to use her weekends and holidays for adventure. She toured continents alone in motorhomes including the USA, South Africa and New Zealand.

“She wrote a regular column for Caravan Magazine which was the start of a successful new career for her in journalism, publishing and broadcasting.

“She was an active member of the Caravan Club, the British Guild of Travel Writers, and the Society of Women Writers and Journalists.

“She published many books, with her articles appearing in national publications and national newspapers.

“For three years she was a feature writer for Oracle Teletext and in 2006, she was in BBC documentary Caravans: A British Love Affair.

“Mum’s advice was: ‘Work can be a very rewarding aspect of a woman’s life – take it from me – the third age of our lives can be the most productive and exciting’.”