THE world of auctioneering in north Herefordshire has been paying tribute to a ‘true gentleman’.

Frank Morgan, who died on January 8 at the age of 69, had retired from his position as a director of Brightwells only on December 31.

“We both retired on the same day,” said Mr Morgan’s long-standing colleague and former fellow Brightwells director Terry Court.

“Frank had been with the business for 54 years and I had been with them for 64 years.

“Frank was a pupil under Geoffrey Chambers and I was a pupil with Michael Wyatt so you could say that we were taught the hard way and we grew up together.

“He was a great colleague and a true gentleman as well as being a wonderful friend – we did some marvellous sales together.

“Frank did livestock sales, machinery sales, stock sales, farm sales, horse sales, everything – he was a jack of all trades but a master of them all.”

Frank Morgan, who came from a farming family, had originally been a director of Russell , Baldwin and Bright and always worked for the firm in their Leominster office.

He remained a director when the firm evolved into Brightwells and moved to their current headquarters at Easters Mart.

As well as his passion for auctioneering, Mr Morgan was a great racing fan and regularly to be seen at the Hereford and Ludlow courses.

He had been a steward for both point to point and National Hunt racing for around three decades.

He was the fixture secretary and subsequently chairman of the North Hereford Hunt Point to point and Terry Court said that he had recently begun to breed his own horses, one of which ran at Bangor for the first time on the day that he died.

“Frank was well respected by everyone who dealt with him and I shall miss him terribly,” said Mr Court.

He was the much loved husband of Trish, father of Sarah and Charlotte and grandfather of Rab, Huw, Angus and Una.

Frank Morgan’s funeral will take place at Kingsland Church at 11am on January 24.