MORE than 400 people filled Richmond's St Mary's Church yesterday for the funeral of Lady Serena James, who died last week months short of her 100th birthday.

Members of the St John Ambulance formed a guard of honour in tribute to the woman whose name the local branch has adopted.

The congregation was reminded that it was just one of dozens of charities to benefit from her generosity and tireless work, which led to her being awarded the Freedom of the North Yorkshire town.

During a personal address, Canon Christopher White spoke of Lady Serena's work as a magistrate and as a member of the county's police authority.

He said her hospitality was something most will remember her for: the chocolate shared around the estate, the warm fires at her home and bridge sessions for charity.

Mr White drew on one example "to encapsulate her benevolence", telling the story of the tramp to whom she first gave a job and, later, a home after she had found him sleeping rough on the front seat of the family's Jaguar.

"When he died, she paid his funeral expenses and the death notice in the Northern Echo read: 'Joshua, a friend of Lady Serena'.

"The most important thing to her was her family and her friends, who ranged from dukes to tramps. She treated all people as equal."