There was another side to the life of legendary Bradford piano teacher Irene Martin, whose story was featured in Past Times a couple of weeks ago. She had a strong Christian commitment which she expressed both through preaching and through her work with teenagers.

Mrs P.M. Wadsworth remembers Miss Martin as a Methodist local preacher, taking a service ("possibly a Sunday School anniversary," she suggests) at Wesley Place Methodist Church, Low Moor, in the late 1940s or early 1950s.

"She walked with two sticks and it must have been an ordeal pulling herself up into the pulpit," she remembers. "She was a very cheerful person and good preacher."

David Rhodes recalls Miss Martin as "an altruistic and empathetic person of the first degree."

He writes: "In the 1940s she held weekly what she called a Bible Class' for teenagers and although not a theologian, she was well versed in religious matters, probably through her father being a minister.

Each week part of the meeting was dedicated to faith but it mattered not what denomination you followed. The whole point of these sessions was to hear and discuss the problems of teenagers and try to find solutions.

"One of my friends was a manic depressive but through these meetings and Miss Martin's counselling she was transformed into a normal happy-go-lucky girl.

"Miss Martin's door was always open to anyone who needed help, and believe me she was kept busy. To my knowledge not one of us at these meetings ever thought of being taught how to play the piano, but I thought your readers might be interested to hear about another side of this wonderful lady.

"We gave Irene Martin the nichname of house martin' because of her love for our feathered friends and I would like to think that the illustrated book of birds we signed and presented to her is still in the possession of a relative or friend."