The great-aunt of the woman who invented the mini-skirt has died in a New Malden care home.

Gwyneth Anna Bevan died in her sleep on Monday, March 17, aged 104.

Gwyneth, aunt of Mary Quant, was born in Kidwelly in 1909 and was the youngest of three children.

She learned to sew as a youngster and would make all of her sisters and her own clothes. She later moved to Swansea to live with her grandparents and better her trade as a tailor.

During her twenties she met husband-to be Harry Bevan after he returned from a two-year work placement in Iraq.

The pair married and moved to New Malden in 1938 where they had their daughter Rosemary.

Once Rosemary married and had two sons of her own, the whole family would regularly visit the Bentall Centre for ice cream and shopping at the weekends.

Gwyneth was a regular churchgoer and belonged to St James’s Church in New Malden and would often be seen at fairs selling homemade cakes and knits.

Friend Sue Rosser said: “Harry and Gwyneth were members of the Kingston upon Thames Welsh club as well as being members of the New Malden Wine circle where they had many fun filled evenings.

“She was a founder member of New Malden Cancer Relief fund and worked tirelessly to raise money.

“Harry and Gwyneth went to many dances at St James church in aid of Cancer Relief and they were always the first to get up and dance. She loved to dance.”

Gwyneth took part in clubs and activities often travelling on the train well into her nineties.

She also lived independently until she was 100 and celebrated her big day with a trip to Swansea to see her old home.

She also enjoyed afternoon tea with Ian McDonald, the Kingston mayor at the time, who arranged for her and her friends to be picked up in a limousine.

Mrs Rosser said: “In later life she got very deaf so couldn’t hear much of what was being said but she still loved visiting her friends. “She was a great friend to all that knew her and she will be sadly missed.”