BETSY Sellar, who for more than 20 years organised and ran Calbourne car boot sale, has died at the age of 87.

Betsy was born and raised in Driffield, East Yorkshire in 1934, where she and her younger sister Rita enjoyed a happy childhood.

She met and married her husband Cliff in 1956, spending their early married life in Yorkshire working on a farm.

Betsy has a brief spell managing a pub before moving to Leicestershire and Northampton, managing farms in the area.

The couple finally settled on the Isle of Wight in 1979.

Living at Calbourne, Cliff and Betsy quickly became popular in the farming community.

Betsy had a small flock of rare breed sheep, which she regularly showed at agriculture shows.

She set up and established the weekly summer car boot sale, and despite some scepticism on whether it would succeed, it went on to be a huge success.

Not only was the car boot popular with stallholders and the public, but over the years it also raised thousands of pounds for the village hall and local charities.

Betsy also organised antique fairs at Calbourne and other locations around the Island.

When her mobility became an issue, she became known as the quad bike lady – as she went around the car boot on her quad bike, keeping everyone in line and ensuring it ran smoothly.

The quad bike was retired in 2014 after Betsy participated in a sponsored ride around the Island, raising £2,000 for a military charity.

Betsy liked nothing more than to treat her grandchildren and great-grandchildren to many of the attractions and sights of the Island during their visits.

Betsy died at St Mary’s Hospital, with her sons at her bedside, on January 12.

A funeral service will be held at Calbourne Church on Wednesday, February 2, at 2pm.