Charlie Watts: Devon village remembers its resident Rolling Stone

Residents of a Devon village have paid tribute to Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts who died at the age of 80.

Mr Watts lived with his Shirley wife on a farm in the village of Dolton.

Parish councillor Susan Jury described the pair as a "lovely" couple.

Ms Jury, who is chair of Dolton Village Hall, said their "generous" contributions had even helped pay for the village hall refurbishment.

Mr Watts and his wife owned Halsdon Manor, a 600-acre 16th Century estate where they bred Arabian horses.

Ms Jury recalled the day the drummer made a surprise appearance to help to re-open the village hall - a hub for community events including local scout groups and mother and toddler events.

While Shirley Watts, as a prime donor, had been invited as VIP guest, they did not expect her famous husband to be in tandem.

"We had a bonus!" said Ms Jury. "They were the last to leave the hall on that day."

Despite their "rare" appearances, Ms Jury said the couple had frequently and generously supported the village.

"You'd write to them and you'd get a very nice cheque", she said.

"They always started us off with a very nice sum."

Martin Lock, village hall caretaker at the time, said: "They never forced themselves on the village. They were always there if you needed that extra bit of help with charity or fundraising."

Mr Watts was a member of the Stones from January 1963, when he joined Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Brian Jones in the group.

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