AN 82-year-old former Honiton woman returned to the town last week – to recall the moment, in 1935, when she appeared on stage at the Little Theatre in its most lavish and widely acclaimed production.

AN 82-year-old former Honiton woman returned to the town last week - to recall the moment, in 1935, when she appeared on stage at the Little Theatre in its most lavish and widely acclaimed production.

Eileen Maeer, of Axminster, was a fairy in Juanita Maxwell Phillips' sell-out adaptation of Dick Whittington and His Cat, which won rave reviews in the national press. She is still in regular contact with another of the fairies, who lives in London.

Mrs Maeer was a guest at the second Celebrating Juanita talk, staged by Honiton Senior Council in the former theatre building, now Meadow View Chapel.

Tony Simpson, the council's secretary, led the talk, which explored Juan-ita's long and illustrious acting career.

Jan Guscott, of Honiton Players, gave a number of performaces, re-enacting actual words Juanita said during her reign as mayor.

The council is to launch a town trail to mark sites associated with Juanita.