Great loss of Clitheroe community stalwart and 'gentle' family man

Much-respected Clitheroe resident, David Walter Robinson, whose family owned the Moorcock Inn Hotel and Restaurant for 50 years, died earlier this month surrounded by his family.

The first male consort of the first female Town Mayor of Clitheroe, Mary Robinson, David was also consort again when Mary was elected the Mayor of the Ribble Valley, often joking that he was the chief handbag carrier! David was described as "a quiet man, with a very wicked and fun sense of humour". He would have a quip at the drop of a hat. David was not a stranger to comedy, his own grandfather Walter Greenhalgh, was one of the first recorded comedians in Lancashire, also the proprietor of the Moorcock Inn Waddington. It was then passed to his daughter and son-in-law Joseph and Mari Robinson and that is where David was born, at the Moorcock Inn on October 30th, 1946.

Although the boundaries changed in 1974, David still proudly professed to being a Yorkshireman, and that his daughter, Helen Guiver, was his pink rose, and Mary being a Lancashire lass from Sabden.

Paying tribute, Helen said: "Many people will recognise my mother Mary in this photograph, but many did not know the quiet gentile man standing beside her, supporting, and loving her for just over 50 years of marriage. My dad worked most of his adult life at Stalwart’s carpet factory in Clitheroe as the boiler man, unofficial forklift maintenance man, key holder, and ghost eradicator, and had the best tuck shop going.

"As children, my brother Paul and I would often sneak down to get a can of pop and a Mars bar! David was also an allotmenteer! He would (escape) spend most of the summer months pottering on his allotment accompanied by our ever-faithful cat Jake. Both were well known and greeted with smiles, advice was given freely with a good giggle and a quip, and if you were really lucky, a bacon butty off the BBQ!"

A funeral service will be held at St. James's Church Clitheroe on Tuesday, January 4th, at 10-30am.

David is survived by his beloved wife Mary, son Paul and partner Sarah, daughter Helen and grandson Dylan.