A Thomsett’s coach will precede through Deal carrying flowers for the funeral of the founder’s daughter today.

Grace Kidman, of The Fairway, died peacefully after a short illness on Monday, October 3, aged 89. She was surrounded by her family.

She was the second youngest daughter of Harry Thomsett, the founder of Deal coach firm Thomsett’s Coaches.

The company, which still runs out of Golf Road, will pay its respects by carrying flowers in a procession to her funeral at St Andrew’s Church in West Street.

Mrs Kidman was born in Dolphin Street in Deal on July 4, 1927.

She was the eighth child born to Harriet and Harry Thomsett and two years later another sister was to follow making nine children in all.

In December 1929, her father decided to buy a pit bus with the redundancy money he had received from BP for whom he drove a lorry.

He picked up his first passenger on Christmas Day 1929 and was from then on responsible for driver the miners to and from Betteshanger colliery.

This was before the pit showers were introduced so the miners would come home covered in coal dust.

Mr Thomsett put wooden planks across the back of his bus for miners to sit on, after which and between shifts, the planks were removed and the same vehicle delivered coal to the miners homes.

Son Terry Kidman, of Dover Road, Deal, said: “This was the start of the business that is still in operation today, 87 years later, and of which my mum was very proud.

“She would talk about her dad and the buses a lot.”

Mrs Kidman attended Adelaide House School a private school in Exchange Street, Deal.

She was an accomplished musician, playing several instruments, including the piano, as well as a being a very skilled seamstress, who always strived for perfection in her work.

In 1946 she married Maurice Kidman. They had two children Susan and Terry.

Terry Kidman said: “She was the hub of our family, everybody would go to her.

“She always put others first and would never turn anybody away, so much so we had to hire the Winter Gardens in Margate for her 80th birthday party to allow room for 500 guests.

“She would not have a party if she had to exclude anyone.”

The great-great grandmother will be remembered for her diet of chips and sugar sandwiches, as well as her love of Facebook.

Daughter-in-law Pat Kidman, said: “She loved Facebook. She would go on to it about five times a day.”

Her funeral will be held at 2pm today (Thursday) at St Andrew’s Church in West Street, Deal, followed by a gathering at The Ocean Rooms.

All who knew her are welcome.