Walter Bentley (1928–2010)

Abstract

Born in Crossgates on 2 April 1928, Walter spent most of his life in the Leeds area. On leaving school he started work with a firm of Chartered Accountants, and left only to do his National Service, when he served in North Africa. On demobilisation, he returned to the Accountants, where he worked until his retirement as a partner. He had developed an interest in cycling and spent most of his spare time touring both nationally and locally. In more recent times, he loaded his bicycle into his car which allowed him to travel further afield, often to historical sites, castles, battle sites, National Trust and English Heritage properties. One particular interest was old maps and books, and he had a sizeable collection. He was cycling well into 2010, not so long before he died. His favourite site was St. Oswald’s church at Heavenfield. He became a Friend of St. Oswald’s and his ashes are buried there. In retirement, he also travelled extensively abroad on holiday, and visited the First World War battlefields in France and Belgium. He was a member of the YAS and the Roman Antiquities Section for many years, and following the retirement of Mr. Brookes, he took over as Honorary Treasurer, a post he held for eleven years. He subsequently joined the Conservation Group, based at Claremont, and became a very proficient member — assisting in repairing and maintaining our collection of historic volumes. He loved these books and took great delight in restoring them to good condition. As he made an impact on many members, there follow some comments from past Presidents and Chairmen who worked with him, as well as members he met on a regular basis. These sum him up well: