The death has occurred of Roland Nicholson, eighth child of the late Roland and Isabel Nicholson, former licensees of the Museum Hotel, Castlegate, Penrith.
Roland junior was born in Culgaith in 1930, on the day the Woolworths store opened in Penrith, thus preventing his mother from getting a free bucket on its first day of trading.
He was one of 10 children, all his siblings being girls.
He attended Penrith Queen Elizabeth Grammar School and went on to study agriculture at the nearby Newton Rigg Farm School and then Newcastle University.
After graduating, Roland worked for Lunesdale Farmers and became well known in farming circles.
He married Marjorie Wilson, of Gamblesby, and they set up home in Dufton, where they had their two children, Katherine and Spenser.
Various moves followed when Roland secured a job with seed merchants Thompson and Morgan, and the family eventually settled in Knutsford, Cheshire.
He became a committed Freemason for the rest of his life and was made Grand Worshipful Master at least twice.
He enjoyed all aspects of this pursuit and shared this enthusiasm with his two nearby brothers-in-law, Jim Wilson and Dick Harrison, also Penrithians by birth.
Marjorie died before her husband and at that point Roland relocated to Shrewsbury to live with their daughter Katherine and her family.
He also leaves behind his son Spenser, of Devon.
