TRIBUTES have been paid to a Wrexham teacher and businesswoman who has died, aged 93.

Eleanor Freudmann led a varied life– from being born in East Africa to running a travel company in Wrexham for 30 years.

Her son Steven Freudmann, who is chair of the Institute of Travel and Tourism and lives in Worthenbury, said: “She was a character.

“If you met my mum you would be unlikely to forget her. She was very kind and had a special place for children.

“She was also very happy to be a grandmother and great grandmother.”

Eleanor was married to Max Freudmann, who died in 1967, and had two children Steven and Anthony.

Eleanor was born in Beira, East Africa, which is now Mozambique, in 1917 as the eldest daughter of John Hughes of Pwllglas, near Ruthin, who had taken up a job with Barclays Colonial Division before the First World War.

The family returned to UK in 1920 and Eleanor was educated at Llanfair DC Elementary School until 1929, Dr Willliams School, Dolgellau, until 1935 and FL Calder College of Domestic Science, Liverpool until 1938.

She taught domestic science in Wallasey in 1938, then Braintree, Essex, from 1939 to 1940.

She returned to North Wales in November 1940 to escape the blitz and took up post at Penygelli Secondary, School, Coedpoeth which she held until 1955.

She then taught at Brynhyfryd School, Ruthin, and finally at Brynteg School until she retired in the early 1970s. With her late husband, Max, she organised and led school parties and teacher groups on European trips from the early 1950s.

In 1965, with her husband, she founded Majestic Travel which traded from King Street and then Lord Street for more than 30 years.

For many years she led tour groups from Wrexham to all parts of the world.

The company was one of the first to take a tour group to China in 1975 within months of the death of Chairman Mao.

After moving from Coedpoeth in 1970, she was a resident of Westminster Drive, Wrexham, for almost 40 years and for the last two years settled at Abbeyfield, Box Lane.