Morris dancers from gathered to celebrate the life of “colourful character” Steve Adamson who died last week.

The 58-year-old from West Bowling was well-known as The Keeper of the Morris Shop, travelling to folk festivals and morris gatherings for 20 years selling Morris-type essentials. Yesterday fellow Morris men descended on Nab Wood Crematorium to say their farewell and headed to the Brown Cow pub in Bingley to pay a fitting tribute and dance.

Mr Adamson, who never married, had served as a bugler in the army and later took up the pipe and whistle. His death from bronchial pneumonia was unexpected but he had suffered health problems since shedding half of his 30 stone, having had a gastric band. He had also survived a house fire years ago in which he almost died.

Paying tribute, Bob Carter from the Great Yorkshire Morris club said: “He was a colourful character who had a colourful life.” Donations in his memory were collected for the Motor Neurone Association, he leaves a sister who lives in Scunthorpe and a brother in Dublin.