TRIBUTES have been paid to an artistic 75-year-old woman described as a “bright light in this world” after she died in a car crash.

Paula Harward, owner of women’s fashion shop Inside Out Design in St James’s Street, Brighton died in a collision outside The Grand Hotel in Eastbourne on October 5, within a week of her husband Tim’s funeral.

Those who knew her say her shop created the “Judi Dench” look of kurta pyjamas and flowing style clothes to “empower women of all ages and sizes”.

Her daughter Tamsen Harward said: “I wouldn’t know where to start with memories - there are just so many. She was an amazing and inspirational woman.”

Some of Brighton’s artists, writers and media professionals are mourning the death of Mrs Harward along with her family.

The grandmother-of-three, from Bishopstone, was a member of the Dreamwriters group that helped her write her book My Life in Colour: From Brighton to Bali and Back, which launched at Waterstones in February.

Gilly Smith, 54, from Brighton, is a food journalist and podcaster who leads the writing group.

She said: “I first met Paula when she came to my Dreamwriters fortnightly writing group.

“We had spoken on the phone and I’d already got a taste of her enthusiasm, but when I saw her walking down the road, swathed in pink, with a colourful bandana and oversized white glasses, I knew we would have fun.

“The last few months of our sessions were dedicated to helping her finding the words to communicate with her terminally ill husband.

“His dementia had provoked frustrations she found hard to deal with. Until she began to write.

“As she read her dreamy prose to him, they both remembered who they were and who they could be in the time he had left.”

Penny Little, 60, a potter and fellow Dreamwriters course member, from South Devon, said: “Her zest for life was evident from the moment she burst through the front door at Gilly and Jed’s house for our Dreamwriters weekend.

“She stood there in her sparkly trainers, bright jewellery and blonde hair held back from her lovely smiling open face with a colourful twisted scarf.

“She was clutching a huge bag and a bottle of wine, arms wide open as she said hello to old friends and new; unmissable, warm, friendly Paula.

“How could you not fall in love with her? I felt shy in this new group of people, I wanted to disappear and blend into the background, but she was having none of that.

“I likened her to a bird of paradise but she was far from flighty. Her writing was extremely poignant, on the money, brave and true.”

Mrs Harward’s funeral will be held at Woodvale North Chapel, Brighton, on October 24 at 3.30pm.