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A woman who only used transport of any kind twice in 40 years, and was known locally as The Croydon Running Lady, has died.

Joan Pick, from Turnpike Link, Addiscombe, passed away after a battle with oesophageal cancer on January 29, aged 76.

A passionate environmental campaigner, Miss Pick devoted her life to preserving natural resources and had not used hot water, heating or a fridge since 1973.

Instead of using a car or any form of public transport, Miss Pick would also run everywhere and ran 10 miles a day and 25 miles on Sundays.

Her nephew, Chris Pick, 39, says his aunt ran a simply staggering distance in the course of her lifetime.

"She ran 200,000 miles in total," he explained.

"I think that's something like eight times round the world."

(Image: paul.martyniuk)

Born in Barrow-in-Furness, in 1940, she moved to Croydon in 1967.

Mr Pick explained that his aunt decided in 1973 that drastic action was needed to maintain the planet's resources and transformed her life as a result so she could reduce her carbon footprint as much as she could.

He said: "She had an epiphany that the Earth's resources would not last if someone did not look after them.

"She decided to do her part and turned the heating off in her flat. She stopped using hot water and she only spent about £16 on electricity for the whole year.

"She would only use one light bulb at a time and she had no fridge - she would eat raw fruit and vegetables and nuts instead."

The father-of-two said Miss Pick only had two small indulgences - listening to BBC Radio 4 and using a small kettle for tea.

On living without heating in the cold winter months, Miss Pick told her nephew: "It was easier to put more layers on."

Mr Pick described his aunt as "very dedicated" and said she felt that running everywhere helped her stay healthy.

"She used to run five miles in the morning, and then five in the afternoon and on Sundays she would run 25 miles," he explained.

"Running was part of staying healthy. The healthier she was the longer she could carry out her [environmental] crusade.

"From 1973 until 2015 she avoided transport. She only went in a vehicle twice [in all that time]. Once in an ambulance for a dislocated shoulder and once in a hearse for her mother's funeral."

Known affectionately as The Running Lady, Miss Pick became a familiar face in the streets around her home, due to the fact she ran everywhere.

In the final few months of her life due to her failing health she had to rely on transport on occasions, for example to get to hospital.

As well as leading by example, she would write letters to the government, campaigning for environmental causes.

For her funeral, Miss Pick generously told her nephew to "save his money" and alternatively put all costs towards his daughter's university tuition.

Chris, who lives in Seattle, in America, said: "I think she felt close to my daughter. I think she saw a part of herself in my daughter."

Because of this, there was no funeral service. However, Chris is now working with the board of directors where Miss Pick used to live, in Maybourne Grange, to try and get a commemorative plaque put up for his aunt.

He said: "I'm trying to get a memorial for her so if people want to pay their respects to her striving for environmental causes for 45 years they can."

WHY SHE DID IT IN HER OWN WORDS

When interviewed by the Advertiser in 2008, Miss Pick explained that at that point she hadn't used any form of motorised transport since 1992.

She said that she believed that more people needed to adopt her extreme way of life if we are to save our planet.

"We know we're using too much energy," she said. "We have to live within the planet's means.

"There is no alternative to a fundamental change in the way we live."

Miss Pick's decision to boycott planes, trains and automobiles came as a scientist in 1973 while working for a Croydon firm of consultants advising the energy industry.

She decided the world's mass-consumption approach to energy was wrong and began setting an example for everyone to follow.

Since then she only travelled as far as her legs would take her, which meant she had gone decades without a holiday.

"I'm a minimal energy user," she explained. "I don't expect anybody else to be as resolute as me, but I have to experiment with the energy-efficient lifestyle to prove it's survivable."

The Morris Minor Millennium she drove had been mothballed in her garage since 1972.

Her pact with herself meant that, in the 16 years before 2008, she had been no further than Tower Bridge to the north, Tolworth to the west, Reigate and Godstone to the south or Sidcup to the east.

"It's the easiest, cheapest method of keeping fit," she said, explaining why she ran everywhere.

"People shout at me 'keep on running'.

"I'm usually stopped and people ask me if I'm the lady who runs everywhere and they ask me why I'm doing it, so I give them a little seminar.

"They say I'm an inspiration but they're still in their cars."

Joan had to accept being taken to hospital in an ambulance in 1991 after she dislocated a shoulder.

But she was steadfast in her determination that only such unavoidable emergencies would lead to her using motorised transport again.

She said: "Some people criticise me by saying I ought to get out more, but that's one thing you can't say about me – I'm out all the time."

At the start of her campaign to transform the way Britain and the world uses energy she wrote 100 letters a week to prominent policymakers, scientists and politicians.

By 2008 she had cut down to between three and six a day because she couldn't afford the postage, but still delivered all her local mail by hand.

Her way of life, however, had sadly kept her single as she didn't believe it would allow for a partner.

"There's never been a prospect of it," she said. "You can't have somebody else around to contradict you."

A TYPICAL DAY IN HER LIFE

How Joan Pick's typical day panned out in 2008.

5.15am: Get up

5.50am: Run to newsagents to buy newspapers

8.30am: Walk to Croydon Library to read papers and write letters

8.45am: Arrive at library 15 minutes before it opens to engage people in conversation

10am: Walk to Surrey Street Market

10.30am: Walk home to write letters

2pm-4pm: Go for main run of the day

7pm-7.15pm: Listen to The Archers

7.15pm: Go for a half-hour run

8pm: Listen to the radio

8.30pm: Exercise in her kitchen using a bicycle inner tube as a rowing machine, cast iron pots as weights and a hoola-hoop

11.30pm: Go to bed

HER LOVE OF SUGAR CUBES

Joan Pick also appeared in the Advertiser in 1972. She was featured after we invited readers to tell us about their odd collections.

She got in touch straight away – keen to share her passion for collecting sugar cubes.