Gigli's protege Ursula dies, aged 90

A lot of people would have known Ursula Kimber, of Sedlescombe Road South, St Leonards, either as the successful singing teacher who nurtured a string of Hastings Music Festival winners, or as the wife of the late Trevor Kimber OBE, the headmaster of Priory Road school and later Hillcrest.

But less well-known is that Mrs Kimber looked set for a prestigious singing career herself when she was picked by Beniamini Gigli, one of the last century's most famous tenors, to be his protege.

"He was the equivalent of Robbie Williams today '“ a real superstar '“ and he trained her in London," son Stephen told the Observer.

"She must have been very talented, but she gave it all up when she married in 1946 and never really talked about it much."

Ursula and Trevor were married just after the Second World War in 1946 and moved to Hastings in the 1960s.

Her life revolved around her twin passions '“ her family and music. Not only did she coach a conveyor belt of Music Festival champions, she also had seven children who produced 18 grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

"She devoted her life to the family and to music and she was very happy. She was a very generous, very loving woman, who gave everything for everybody, and she was well respected in the town."

Mrs Kimber passed away in the early hours of Friday, August 20. Her funeral will be next Friday (September 10) at noon at St Thomas's Church, Magdalen Road, St Leonards, followed by a cremation at Hastings Crematorium at 1.30pm.