HUNDREDS of mourners attended the Poole funeral of Mary Bond yesterday, a matriarch of the Romany Gypsy community.

Mary, affectionately known as ‘Queen of the Gypsies’, passed away last month, aged 94.

A large funeral cortege, including three horse-drawn carriages, wound its way from her Alderney home to St Clement’s Church, Newtown, for the funeral service.

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Mary Bond (nee Hughes) moved to Poole’s Mannings Heath site in the early 1970s, and often travelled into Bournemouth with her friend Tilly Johnson selling lucky heather and charms.

Mary’s nephew, Dan Turner – who read the eulogy at her funeral – explained: “In Mary’s life she lost many of her family members.

“When anyone in the family passed away, Mary was always there to support her family through the hard times.

“Mary enjoyed going to parties, christenings and weddings. She enjoyed her 90th birthday party where family and relations came to celebrate with her.”

Granddaughter Victoria Cooper-Bond told the Daily Echo how Mary always made time for everyone, and because of her kind-hearted nature she was loved by all.

“She was my world, she was a second mum to me all my life,” Victoria added.

Mary also loved cooking, often making bacon and meat puddings in a two-gallon pot. She was a regular at the Great Dorset Steam Fair and the Epsom Derby.

Dan said yesterday: “The family would like to thank everyone who has come today to show their support, and would like Mary to be remembered as a loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great-grandmother who would do anything to help anyone, she lived for those she loved.”