A COLOURFUL character who lived and breathed Knutsford has died.

Bob Ingham, 83, who served as both a local Lib-Dem councillor and a stalwart supporter of the town’s Royal May Day Festival, died on March 28.

Many Knutsfordians will remember him for his role as both vice chairman and president of the festival procession, in which he would sport a Bangor University blazer and whites and straw boater, as he shepherded children around town.

Joint secretary of the May Day Festival Eileen Podmore said: “Bob served on the May Day committee for over 40 years.

He always ensured that the potholes in the road where the procession comes out of Wright Marshall’s yard were filled in prior to the festival so that the children had a safe passage, and along with his wife Jean, who was the treasurer for many years, regarded the May Day as a very important part of their year.”

She added: “Bob decorated many lorries, which showed great attention to detail. I was always surprised just how much he got on them!”

On the political front, he once locked horns with a young George Osborne, who as a prospective parliamentary candidate back in 2000, was upset about Bob’s suggestion that the controversy surrounding the name of ‘Tatton’, had been responsible in large part for a drop in Tory votes at the 1997 defeat on Neil Hamilton, and it should be changed back to its old name of Knutsford.

In a letter to the Guardian, Mr Osborne said: “That is obviously ridiculous. It may have escaped Mr Ingham’s notice, if no one else’s, that there were one or two other issues at the last election that led to Martin Bell’s famous victory.”

Mr Ingham served the Bexton ward on the old Macclesfield Borough Council, was chairman of the Liberal Democrats in Knutsford and runner up at a by-election for the vacant Tatton parliamentary seat in 1979. Robert Ingham was born in rural North Wales.

After leaving school he studied theology and physics at Bangor University and later went to work for The Nuclear Power Group at Booths Hall, where, as a nuclear physicist he worked on the design of 12 power stations.

Walter Wright, who read the eulogy at Bob’s service at St John’s CE Church, High Legh, said he first met him while working as a Conservative councillor.

“I got to know him while we both served on the west area planning committee where Bob made many valuable contributions and always stood by his guns.”

Bob is survived by wife Jean.