TRIBUTES have been paid to a Southampton grandmother who was instrumental in boosting the city’s tourism industry.

Rosemary Hellyar was born in 1930 and spent her childhood in Bugle Street.

Her time spent living in the French Quarter - as the Old Town was known then - inspired her love of local history, and after meeting her husband Ken they married in 1952.

The couple set up the Southampton Tour Guide Association in 1976 - with Rosemary working as a guide until at least 2004.

Ken’s famous hand-made 3D map of Southampton’s Old Town was built in the Hellyar’s front room before being installed in the Bargate - and was then moved to God’s House Tower when it housed Southampton’s Museum of Archaeology.

The model - which took Ken a year to make - is currently undergoing restoration and will form a focal point of God’s House Tower’s new exhibition when the venue reopens this year.

Son Jon Hellyar, 61, said: “Mum helped out at St Michael’s Church, and if anyone wanted to know anything about the building, people always said to ask her.

“She got on with everybody. She never swore – but if she did it was enough to make you faint.

“She always did whatever she wanted to do and travelled the world, from China to Lindisfarne to see the puffins. She enjoyed all sorts of things and was very interested in promoting tourism in Southampton.

“She was also one of the founding members of the Friends of Mayflower Park group.”

Southampton historian and God’s House Tower expert Dr Cheryl Butler - who met Rosemary on a training course in 1976 added: “Rosemary was always very self-deprecating about her knowledge of the history of Southampton but she was a font of knowledge and shared it with many people including visitors

“She will be hugely missed.”

Rosemary died at home on February 23.

Her funeral will take place in Southampton Crematorium East Chapel on March 26 at 2pm.