'She was just Gaynor from up the road' - villagers ready for emotional Bonnie Tyler goodbye

In Mumbles, Swansea, the iconic singer Bonnie Tyler was known by her local friends by the name Gaynor Sullivan or simply Gaynor who lived up the road. The villagers remembered her for her down-to-earth nature as she would often be seen doing her shopping or having a drink with friends. As Tyler passed away at the age of 75, her village prepared for an emotional goodbye.

On Wednesday, the largest partial solar eclipse in nearly three decades coincided with Tyler's passing. Spotify streams of her biggest hit, Total Eclipse of the Heart, saw a nearly double in listening compared to usual. As locals prepare for Tyler's passing, they recall the ordinary moments that stood out to them. On Saturday, thousands lined Newton Road to say their farewells as Tyler's coffin passed through the village to her home on Mumbles Road.

A service will be held in St Mary's Church in Swansea city centre on Monday, before the cortege continues to her birthplace of Skewen, Neath Port Talbot.

The community council organized a book of memories at the Ostreme centre, which has been filled quickly with stories from those who met her at local shops like Marks & Spencer. Family friend Julie Read recalled Tyler as the kindest person she had ever met, staying at her villa in Portugal for their honeymoon. When her daughter was four years old, Tyler held the mic for her daughter's piano performance at Christmas.

The village will remember Tyler's life with a special event added to this year's Retro Week, featuring tributes to her and a chance for locals to share their memories. Most poignantly, the cortege will pass through the streets on Saturday, with music from Tyler's hits and her version of Simply the Best being played. For a singer who sang across the world, this farewell is an intimate one, in the place she called home.