Aelfthryth Gittings (1939-2012) read history at Somerville College, Oxford (1958-61) where she became committed to radical causes such as the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament – a commitment she maintained with her husband John to the end of her life.

During the 1960s Aelfthryth and John travelled and worked in the US, Chile and Hong Kong. Returning to England, they brought up four sons in north London. Aelfthryth was a strong supporter of the comprehensive school system, and was an active school governor.

Having gained a social work diploma at LSE after Oxford, Aelfthryth resumed working at SCPR (now NatCen Social Research), as an interviewer and later training manager (1978-2000). She was praised for the high standards which she maintained and asked of others.

Joining John in Shanghai in 2001-03, Aelfthryth taught business English at Jiaotong University and did volunteer work at the Shanghai Childrens Orphanage.

When they moved after retirement to Shipton, Aelfthryth became an enthusiastic campaigner for the Labour Party. She helped form the Burford (later Oxfordshire) Probate Group which transcribed wills for the Victoria County History, and later the Wychwood Probate Group.

She continued to travel widely with John, visiting much-loved grand-children in East Cork and Hong Kong, and delighting most recently in the Cathar castles of South-west France.

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