BRADFORD historian Roy Lowther has died, after a long illness.

Mr Lowther, 81, of Queensbury, spent many years assembling a large personal archive of material about the history of the district and was well known for his exhibitions of postcards, photographs, drawings, journals and newspaper cuttings in venues such as the Alhambra, the Cathedral and City Hall.

Former Telegraph & Argus columnist Mike Priestley, who knew Mr Lowther (pictured) when he was writing the newspaper's Past Times page, said: "Roy was a kind, generous-hearted man who was eager to share his enthusiasm for his city and its past. He would regularly approach me with ideas and loan me material from his extensive collection. He was a tremendous help to me over the years."

Mr Lowther's funeral will be held at Union Croft Independent Chapel, Queensbury, on Monday at 11.30am.