BRIDPORT has lost one of its leading lights with the death of jeweller and horologist Richard Batten.

Tributes have been paid to the 64-year-old whose packed funeral was held in West Bay on Friday.

Former Melplash Agricultural Show secretary Elizabeth Gale worked with Mr Batten when he was appointed the first non-agricultural chairman of the Melplash Agricultural Society.

She said: "I knew Richard from the time the family came to Bridport.

"He was chairman in 1999. One thing I remember very much about Richard was his joie de vivre, he really enjoyed life.

"It was a change for me because he wasn't your apparent farmer but he had very strong farming roots in Cornall, he was terribly proud of that.

"On first appearance he didn't fit your normal Melplash chairman at the time but he pulled out all the stops.

"He took his chairmanship very seriously but we had a lot of fun, it was a very happy atmosphere.

"He was always immaculately dressed. I remember a very wet, muddy horrible ploughing match and Richard arrived in this very polished, smart car wearing his also highly polished shoes and picking his way carefully through the mud."

She said he was also not afraid to put in the hard work needed.

The year he was chairman was very wet leading up to the show and he put his back into spreading scalpings on the showground.

Mrs Gale added: "Richard buckled to. It is easy for a farmer to pick up a shovel and do things but I can recall Richard working as hard as the farming men.

"Richard was an excellent chairman, He brought a little bit of fresh light to it in those days. They do have chairman from different walks of life now but I think he was one of the first from outside farming."

Various of his friends described Richard as 'very friendly and social character' who would be much missed.

One, Cleeves Palmer said: "I knew him very well. He was a lovely guy.

"He was a consummate professional at his job, he was an excellent and superb craftsman when it came to watches and clocks. That was his passion.

"He was humourous, easy going and extremely stoic and positive through his illness."

Mr Batten was born in 1952 in Cornwall but the family moved to Lyme Regis in 1966, where he attended Woodroffe School.

He apprenticed to his father as a clock maker when he was 17 and was proud to become a certified member of the British Horological Institute as he father was before him.

He had many hobbies, especially skittles and cooking - he won the Melplash cookery competition three times before becoming a judge. He also enjoyed photography, snooker, cycling, golf, darts and boating.

A collection for the Fortuneswell Cancer Trust was made at his funeral.

He leaves behind his wife Kata, his three children Gemma, Laura and Joe and six grandchildren.

Gemma said she'd trained with her father since she was 13 when she began helping in the shop which will continue as his legacy, she said.