Plans for benches in memory of Little Nana Iris to encourage people to stop and chat just like she did

Iris Amos, the Wearside legend who made people across the world laugh with through the videos she made with her family, died on Wednesday, April 1, aged 92.

Scores of tributes have been paid to Iris after her fans were left heartbroken at news of her death.

Her no-nonsense views were captured by her loved ones and shared on Facebook, with her relatives paying tribute to the kind and caring woman at the heart of their family.

Now it is hoped her home city will set up lasting memorials to help honour what she did best – bring people together for a chat.

Charlotte Richardson has set up a fund to buy two benches, one in the city centre, where she loved to shop and chat to people and another in the East End, where Iris lived for many years.

Almost £2,000 has already been raised by supporters.

The 32-year-old, who works as a customer manager for a car insurance company, has launched the appeal.

Paul Giles, brother of her partner, Louis Giles, 25, is one of Nana Iris’s grandchildren.

Charlotte said: “Paul was really close to Iris and we're all going to miss her so much.

“These will be places people can go on anniversaries and birthdays, things like that, and we’d also like to get her a plaque for the amusements where she worked.

“It will be somewhere they can sit at times and have a bit of a think about her.

“We will need to apply for them but we’d like to get on in the city centre and one in the East End, where her family are from.”

Iris’s family have paid tribute to her by saying: “Iris was a kind and gentle person who just loved helping people when she could.

“She was very witty and funny and loved a good laugh – she was the life and soul of the party.”

Donations to the fund can be gifted via www.gofundme.com/f/little-nana-iris-memorial

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