JIM Horsley died on Christmas Day, aged 82. He was a man of varying interests who contributed greatly to his local town of Ilkley. Born in Harrogate, he was educated at St Olave’s and St Peter’s Schools, York, leaving in 1953 to become articled to Douglas Hartley of Dacre Son and Hartley, Chartered Surveyors and Estate Agents, the firm he served for his entire working life. In the professional examinations of both the Chartered Auctioneers’ and Estate Agents Institute and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, he produced the finest possible results. He was awarded the first prize nationally by both professional bodies for every examination in 1955, 1956 and in his Finals in 1958 - a remarkable achievement.

Jim’s National Service was in the RAF, after which he returned to Dacre, Son and Hartley, moving to their Ilkley office. He married Margaret Macdonald in 1962 and they commenced their lives together living in the flat “above the shop” in Ilkley until they moved to live in Panorama Drive, Ilkley, in 1965. By this time Jim had become involved in the residential property side of their business and he was taken into partnership in 1966, greatly expanding the department over the ensuing years. Subsequently he specialised in development projects, and became Senior Partner in 1984 before retiring in 1999.

In his leisure time he enjoyed performing at The Ilkley Playhouse, later serving as its President for three years. He took a keen interest in cricket, captaining the Harrogate A team in1960 and founding the Optimists XI, a team of cricket enthusiasts who play against a variety of Yorkshire clubs. He was a golfer and a member of Ilkley Golf Club for 37 years, and was its President in 1994. Among all this he was pre-eminently a family man, immensely proud of his two sons Bill and James and of the daughter Sue who tragically pre-deceased him last year.

As a member of Ilkley and District Round Table he found a way of indulging his abiding fascination in music hall variety, acting as theatrical agent in securing acts for a series of Old Time Music Halls starting in 1963 and continuing for some years, raising substantial sums for charities. Many famous acts were secured, including Frankie Vaughan, Sandy Powell and Hettie King. After his retirement, Jim turned to the major project of refurbishing the Ilkley Kings Hall and Winter Gardens, a pair of buildings offering excellent amenities but which were in urgent need of improvement and restoration. Jim worked closely with the owners - Bradford Metropolitan District Council – investigating how any monies raised privately could be integrated with contributions from the Council. To this end Jim, with others, formed the Friends of the Kings Hall and Winter Gardens and set about arranging a series of highly successful concerts and appearances, once more exploiting his keen interest in in the world of entertainment. Within two weeks of his death he was still discussing which acts to book for next year. He was Chairman of the Friends from its inception in 2000 until his death. His enthusiasm, diplomacy and determination hugely contributed to the project which has resulted in an outstanding civic amenity that is once again being very well used for a range of events from weddings to concerts and model railway exhibitions to beer festivals, including regular bookings of well-known artistes by Bradford Metropolitan Theatres Department.

Jim was widely known and very well liked, always ready with laughter and jokes arising from his very active sense of humour. He loved his job, his holidays, his life in general but, most of all, his family.

He leaves his wife and two sons and six grandchildren.

A private cremation will be followed by a service of Thanksgiving at the Priory Church, Bolton Abbey, on Friday, January 12 at 11.15am. Family flowers only. Donations may be given to The Friends of the Kings Hall and Winter Garden, Ilkley.