Halstead will “sorely miss” a long standing member of the community who has died.

Michael Portway, 89, died on Sunday after a period of poor health.

He was an important figure in the town, being in charge of his family firm Julia Smith, who was a close friend of Michael’s, said: “He was once described to me by a man who used to work for him as the ‘boy who never grew up’.

“He really kept his sense of humour and fun to the end.

“He was a gentleman in the truest sense of the word.

“He was very involved in the town, like his family before him.”

 

 

**More tributes to "Mr Halstead" in this week's Gazette