EVERY fashion-conscious woman knows the value of the "little black dress" that will make her feel good, whatever the occasion.

Great-grandmother Hilda Dinsley, 83, is still wearing hers after 50 years, and she has always known she will never see another like it.

The retired pub landlady bought the size 12 moss crepe dress in 1951 when she was a supervisor at the Ramar dress factory, in Crook.

She had worn it for glittering balls, golf club dinners and funerals, and even behind the bar in the Green Tree, Howden-le-Wear, which she ran for 25 years with her late husband, Ted.

Mrs Dinsley, from Cedar Gardens, Crook, is planning to wear the dress next week when Crook History Society brings together former Ramar workers for a night of nostalgia.

It still fits her perfectly and looks as good as the day it was made.

The dress was one of two made at the factory, one black and one blue, which never went into production because they were too expensive to produce commercially.

She bought it for £8, but never told Ted how much it cost. She said: "I think my father helped me because it was a lot of money but it's been worth every penny."

Mrs Dinsley, who was an Aycliffe Angel during the Second World War, worked as a supervisor at Ramar until 1956.

She said: "It was a happy place. We had really good bosses. Most of the workers were women whose husbands could not find jobs so it was a real godsend for Crook."

She is sharing memories with other former Ramar workers, including Councillor Bob Pendlebury next Tuesday in St Catherine's Community Centre, from 7.30pm.

There is a display of memorabilia and a short film showing the factory being demolished

The Ramar factory opened in 1949 and closed in September 1991, putting 500 people out of work.