Mother-of-three, 51, died in the Manchester bombing as she went to pick up a friend's children

  • Jane Tweddle-Taylor, 51, had had been out for dinner with her friend in the city centre before the pair went to get the youngsters from the concert 
  • She died after becoming caught up in the blast at the Manchester Arena. Her friend and her children were uninjured
  • Mrs Tweddle-Taylor, was looking forward to going on holiday to Berlin next week

By Liz Hull for the Daily Mail

Published: | Updated:

A school receptionist who was 'adored' by her three daughters was killed in the attack as she went to pick up a friend's children, relatives said yesterday.

Jane Tweddle-Taylor, 51, had had been out for dinner with her friend in the city centre before the pair went to get the youngsters from the concert.

The mother-of-three died after becoming caught up in the blast at theManchester Arena. Her friend and her children were uninjured.

Last night it emerged that Mrs Tweddle-Taylor, from Blackpool, Lancashire, was looking forward to going on holiday to Berlin with her three daughters Harriet, 24, Lily, 22, and Isabelle, 20, next week.

Jane Tweddle-Taylor, 51, had had been out for dinner with her friend in the city centre before the pair went to get the youngsters from the concert

Jane Tweddle-Taylor, 51, had had been out for dinner with her friend in the city centre before the pair went to get the youngsters from the concert

She died after becoming caught up in the blast at the Manchester Arena. Her friend and her children were uninjured

She died after becoming caught up in the blast at the Manchester Arena. Her friend and her children were uninjured

The girls, who were 'very close' to their mother, had bought their mother the trip away as a Christmas present.

A friend said: 'Jane didn't look her age, some people would see her and the girls together and think she was an older sister. They were very close.'

Mrs Tweddle-Taylor's ex-husband, Mark Taylor, a former professional football player and physio who has worked with some of the game's top managers, said that he, Harriet and Isabelle, searched the hospitals for Mrs Tweddle-Taylor before they were given the heart-breaking news that she was among the dead. 

Lily was travelling in Australia at the time and has since returned home.

Mr Taylor, 52, told BBC Lancashire: 'Jane was a very, very lovely lady and a very good mother to (our) three daughters.

'She was liked by everybody, especially in her community in Blackpool where she worked.

'She was full of life and very energetic with the children, going to functions and all sort of different things, like skiing. We had loads of happy times.

'She actually travelled with one of her friends to drop her children off to the concert. Her and her friend were just having some food waiting for the concert to finish.

'They went back to pick them up as arranged. They were waiting in that area where the explosion happened and unfortunately Jane didn't come back. Her friend fortunately was OK, and the children were taken to safety.'

Mrs Tweddle-Taylor, from Blackpool, Lancashire, was looking forward to going on holiday to Berlin with her three daughters Harriet, 24, Lily, 22, and Isabelle, 20, next week

Mrs Tweddle-Taylor, from Blackpool, Lancashire, was looking forward to going on holiday to Berlin with her three daughters Harriet, 24, Lily, 22, and Isabelle, 20, next week

Mrs Tweddle-Taylor met her husband while he was playing for Hartlepool United. The pair moved to Blackpool when he signed for the town's football club in 1986, before going on to play for Wrexham FC.

After retiring he studied to become a physio and went on to become one of former England manager Sam Allardyce's most trusted back room men.

Yesterday Mrs Tweddle-Taylor's parents Alan and Margaret Tweddle, 78 and 76, respectively, who are separated, were both in Manchester with their granddaughters.

Mr Tweddle's partner, Pat Reece, said: 'Jane was a lovely mother to her three daughters, she loved them very much and they adored her.

'She was also close to her parents and they are devastated by what has happened.'

She said they had visited Mrs Tweddle-Taylor just over a week ago. 'It's hard to take in that this has happened to her,' she added.

Mrs Tweddle-Taylor worked as a receptionist at the South Shore Academy in Blackpool, Lancashire.

Jane Bailey, principal of South Shore Academy, said staff were devastated by the death of a 'wonderful' and 'irreplaceable' friend and colleague.

'Jane was a well-loved member of staff,' she said. 'She was a truly wonderful friend and colleague to all of us at South Shore Academy. As our receptionist, she was in many ways, the public face of the school and she represented us amazingly in this role.

'We have received numerous messages of condolences from parents, students, community members and colleagues across Blackpool for which we are very grateful. 

This graphic shows where the explosion took place on Monday, in the foyer area, leading towards Victoria railway station

This graphic shows where the explosion took place on Monday, in the foyer area, leading towards Victoria railway station

Panicked families have turned to social media in a desperate attempt to locate their loved ones (man pictured comforting young girl outside Manchester Arena)

Panicked families have turned to social media in a desperate attempt to locate their loved ones (man pictured comforting young girl outside Manchester Arena)

'All of them say the same things about our lovely Jane - bubbly, kind, welcoming, funny, generous - the list goes on.

'Our thoughts are also with her family at this dreadful time and in particular her three daughters. In our school family and theirs she is irreplaceable, much loved and will never be forgotten.' 

Former England manager Sam Allardyce was friends with Mrs Tweddle-Taylor, whose ex-husband Mark Taylor played under him at Blackpool before becoming a member of his backroom staff at Bolton, Newcastle and Sunderland.

Mr Allardyce's wife Lynn broke down in tears at their home in Bolton yesterday, telling The Sun: 'I haven't stopped crying. I have been in tears all day. Sam spoke to Mark this morning. Mark could hardly speak, Sam could hardly speak. It is just horrendous.' 

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