THE St George's flag above Stourton Castle, near Stourbridge, was lowered to half mast as family and friends mourned following the sudden death of popular former Redditch Advertiser manager Gill Hand.

Miss Hand, known to many by her former married name of Cook and described as "glamorous, highly intelligent and enormously charismatic," was aged only 59.

She suffered a heart attack following a blood clot that developed after breaking her leg in a fall in the garden of her sister's home in the grounds of the Grade II listed castle, in Bridgnorth Road, Stourton, and died in Russells Hall Hospital, Dudley, in the early hours on August 10.

Miss Hand - a pioneer of the Stourbridge News when it first launched in Foster Street more than 35 years ago and later advertising manager there, as well as at sister papers in Halesowen, Dudley and Redditch - lived next door to her younger sister, Julie Tustin.

Stourton Castle owner Stuart Grove decided to lower the flag for three days after the tragedy - and has said he will provide the same mark of respect on the day of Miss Hand's funeral on August 26 at 11am at Stourbridge Crematorium.

Paying tribute to Miss Hand, Stourbridge News colleague Caroline Smith said: "I started working with Gill many years back in the pioneering early days when the business was still family-run.

"They were such exciting times and Gill, being at once amazingly glamorous, highly intelligent and enormously charismatic, was perfectly suited and a joy to work with.

“So many people will look back to those years and remember with great fondness the immensely elegant woman with the infectious giggle and great sense of fun.

“While we have all been greatly saddened by a life cut short, those of us who knew her will recall Gill as a remarkable human being, now greatly missed.”

The accident in which Miss Hand broke her leg in three places happened when she tripped on a step at a family barbecue and, due to the immobility caused by the injury, then spent six weeks in plaster at Prestwood Lodge care home, Stourton.

She was known to her family as "Gilly" and grew up in Wollaston, where she and her sister attended St James's Primary School before both moving on to the former Stourbridge Girls High School, which she left with four A Levels.

She was married to accountant Chris Cook and later News journalist Scott Knill but had more recently reverted to using her maiden name.

Mrs Tustin launched her own business, Jentarby Outside Catering and Wine Wholesalers, about a year ago and Miss Hand helped her to prepare food, jars of pickles and Christmas hampers, as well as with sales.

"We were inseparable as sisters," said a grief-stricken Mrs Tustin.

"She was a very good saleswoman and was absolutely stunning - gorgeous and a lovely person, with a sunny disposition, who loved life.

"Gilly never had children but she was wonderful with her nieces, my daughters Tara and Ruby, and would spend hours helping with their homework, reading or playing Monopoly with them.

"She will be greatly missed. But, at her funeral, people don't have to wear black unless they wish to and we will be playing her favourite Beatles records as we celebrate her life.

"Gilly was always such fun and we will have a marquee in the grounds of Stourton Castle for the wake, where we will toast her life with champagne - she'll go out in style."