'She was the boss.' Derby says goodbye to one half of karaoke couple

The granddaughter of a Derby couple often found singing at some of the city's most well-known pubs has shared a touching tribute after losing "the boss" of her family. Gloria and Thomas Taws enjoyed a long marriage spanning over five decades, most of which was spent living in the Normanton and Rose Hill areas - but it was their weekend habits in Derby city centre that made them a familiar face among locals.

The couple's eldest granddaughter, Tia, has now shared fond memories of her "loving" grandmother, Gloria, following her death aged 61 earlier this month. Gloria - often known as Glor - was a kind-hearted Geordie woman who "wore her heart on her sleeve", said Tia, 23, who said Gloria brought that bubbly Newcastle spirit to Derby after moving to the city in 1997.

In the 27 years the pair spent living in Derby - after moving from the North East for a "better life" - they became regulars at some of the city's oldest pubs, performing an array of karaoke classics nearly every weekend. Among their favourite spots were the City Bar, the Noah's Ark, the Neptune and the Castle and Falcon.

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Tia spoke about the amazing time she spent with her fun-loving grandparents over the years, adding how they would constantly be getting involved with fun at any given opportunity. She said: "I was lucky enough to get to go with them sometimes, however, I was still young when they would go and take me.

"It was amazing getting to see them both together and enjoying themselves. They are very well known in town, to the point that people from the pubs stopped them to talk to them and reminisce about their karaoke days. Grandma was very much into her Celine Dion, with her favourite to sing being The Reason - and Labbi Siffre’s Something Inside (So Strong) was a close second.

"Grandad is very Lionel Richie-oriented, and on occasion, we’d be lucky enough to hear a duet of Billy Preston and Syreeta Wright's With You I’m Born Again. I don't know when they started with the karaoke, but I can tell you they never truly stopped. They absolutely loved it."

The pair married in December 1980 and had three children together: Lee, 43, Kelly, 39, and Dana - Tia's mother - who sadly died in 2016 aged 33. Tia told how Gloria enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren and great-granddaughter and recalled the matriarch's strong love for football, particularly her beloved Newcastle United.

Tia added: "She really got into the football more than a lot of people would. She was a passionate Geordie girl who wouldn't take any nonsense and she was always up for a laugh and a joke. She was genuine and pure hearted, but she wore that heart on her sleeve and would help anyone in need if she could, she was a true protector and the head of the family.

"She was never cruel and always lent an ear if you needed advice. She was beautiful and loved by family and friends. She always chose to see the best in people even if there wasn’t much to see." Not only were the pair a regular sight to see in the city's pubs, but they also took their hobby abroad - often in the form of wild nights in Benidorm's Wooky Hollow bar.

Tia continued: "It was a yearly thing, we loved Benidorm, and we made some good friends over there between the pubs and hotels we stopped in. We scattered my mum's ashes over there when she passed away. You’d always find us in the Wooky Hollow, on the karaoke.

"In later years, they found a hotel they loved, but before that, we found a family hotel we loved, and Grandad got dragged up on stage to do drag, and it made Grandma so happy. They were just such an amazing couple and they were always smiling."

Gloria died at home following cardiorespiratory failure caused by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Despite the sad loss, Tia is taking comfort in knowing "how much she loved and cared" for everyone in the family.

She added: "We’ve always been a close family, however, we’re now talking to immediate family a lot more. Her passing has allowed us to find a strength we didn’t know we had while dealing with her affairs and it has allowed us to have a safe space for my Grandad to stop with any of us whenever he wants.

"We’re heartbroken. She was the boss of the family and the one to take control when things like this happened. We take comfort in knowing how much she loved and cared for each one of us, and how bubbly and enthusiastic she was."

Gloria's funeral is being held in the main chapel at Markeaton Crematorium on Friday, November 29, at 10am, with family meeting there at 9.30am to see her arrive in the hearse. There is a wake to follow at The Malt Shovel in Spondon. Instead of flowers, the family is asking for donations to be made to the Derbyshire Children's Hospital in her name, although flowers would be appreciated.