ONE of the first residents to set up home in Basildon New Town has died, aged 92.

Phyllis Martin was one of the few remaining “Redgrave Road pioneers” – the first batch of families to move to the area when Basildon was created.

The great-grandmother was overjoyed when she and her husband, Stanley, received the keys to their new home, in August 1951.

At the time she said coming to Basildon was like “coming to paradise” as the couple had been living in a Nissen hut – a cramped dome-shaped steel structure – in east London.

Phyllis spent the rest of her life living and working in the town and was even invited to dine with the Queen when she visited the town in 1999.

Phyllis’s daughter, Chris-tine, 61, said her mum – who died of septicemia at Basildon Hospital – was still in love with the town after all these years.

She said: “My dad died 37 years ago, but mum wouldn’t even think about moving away. She loved living here.

“She always told me stories of when they first arrived. They had desperately wanted a proper family home and, because my dad was a carpenter, he got work here, and they moved into Redgrave Road.

“They were the fourth family to move into the street.

“Mum couldn’t believe how lovely Basildon was, she always used to tell me it was like living in the middle of the countryside and that you never had to lock your door!

“She was very proud to be one of the Redgrave Road pioneers – the history meant a lot to her.”

After living in Redgrave Road, in Vange, for 21 years, Phyllis moved to sheltered housing in Nicholl Road.

More recently, due to ill health, she moved to Woodbury Court Nursing home, in Tavistock Road.

In March 1999, when Basildon celebrated its 50th anniversary the town was honoured with a visit from the Queen and Phyllis was one of a select few residents to be invited to lunch with her majesty, at the Towngate Theatre.

Christine, of The Knares, Basildon, said: “By that time, she was about the only Redgrave Road pioneer left.

“Most of the others had emigrated or moved away.

“She always laughed about an incident during the lunch when the Queen noticed her putting some food into her bag as a souvenir, and told her, ‘that’s fine, you take it home a doggy bag!’”

Christine added: “My mum was a lovely lady – one of Basildon’s finest.

“She had a lot of energy for things. She worked as a telephonist for Basildon Council for a number of years.

“She also loved darts and sequence dancing and would always volunteer for community projects.”

Phyllis’s funeral will be held at 4pm, on Friday, at Pitsea Crematorium.