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”A stand out memory was when Dad taught me to drive. The first time I took to the wheel was on a family holiday. We practised on a disused air strip that was slipping into the sea. Mum, Susan, and Richard were on the back seat of the car at the time.”

“So many things I most enjoy have been shaped through Dad,” said daughter Susan. “Driving for the fun of it, map reading, walking in the mountains and a pint in the pub afterwards.

“My sons Cameron and Jake have many special memories of their grandad including the annual bonfire party. We have a wide range of sayings that are woven into the fabric of family life. “I’ve got nins and peedles” and “the thick plottens” are two of our favourites.”

Son Richard added: “I joined my dad at an early age at Bromsgrove Printing, working weekends and holidays. After leaving school I joined him full time and we had a great working relationship with many laughs. Socially, I joined him as a Mason and we spent many nights visiting lodges, followed by a drink at the Bromsgrove Unionist Club, where he was a member for more than 45 years.

“Dad had many cars over the years, and I had the job of fixing them. Most were like Trigger’s broom on the TV comedy Only Fools and Horses with nearly all the parts replaced.

“I feel very privileged to have followed my father into the Court Leet, following an ancient tradition which I know he enjoyed. I was proud to call him my dad. May he rest in peace.”