Dave Whitley was born in Harrogate General Hospital on 15th October 1947 to Eric and Flo (both deceased) and lived with them at 21 Roache Avenue, Bilton during his childhood, he was an only child. He attended Bilton Grange Junior School and passed the 11+ to Harrogate Grammar. Dave was academic but did not excel at school due to his ‘preoccupation’ namely having fun. He commenced his working life as an apprentice for Wrightson & Robinson as a roofer and tiler. Apart from his sojourn into the pub life when he became ‘Mine Host’ at the Mariner’s Arms, Scunthorpe, he spent most of his working life in building management. He also ran his own building firm in his late 20’s ‘Whitley Construction’ together with his lifetime friend and partner (young) Alan Clayton, now sadly deceased. He has worked in such far flung places as the United Arab Emirates and The Falkland Islands. The latter just after the conflict with the ‘Argies’ where he was a big fish in a small pond and mixed with the likes of Sir Rex Hunt, the Island’s Governor and lead the conversion of his workmen’s lodging to a temporary hospital after the Falkland’s hospital burnt to the ground. Something for which the islanders were extremely grateful. He was well known in the pub circles of Harrogate and district as a ‘man’s man’ who could be relied on to have a good laugh. The Gardener’s Arms, Bilton was one of his favourites which he frequented from a very early age, and The Three Horse Shoes and many others in later years. He was also something of a ladies man!! Dave had a large family, seven children in all, the result of several marriages. Dave was the life and soul of any party and it’s true to say he liked a drink. He loved fast cars, music, laughing and most importantly the company of his many friends. He was a great sportsman, excelling in many sports, football; (he played for his school and Railway Athletic). Cricket, (he was in the team at school.) Also snooker, table tennis, pool and later in his life clay pigeon shooting and ‘the shoot’ and all the peripheral activities. It has to be said that he was less successful at golf and fishing despite his enthusiasm for both!! He loved the country life with his dogs, Zebedee a beautiful black Labrador, and many others over the years. One of his greatest loves was the barn at Heyshaw in countryside which he adored. He bought the barn as derelict property and transformed to a beautiful home sadly losing it in the downturn of the 1970’s along with his construction company. Sadly, his hedonistic lifestyle led to illness in his later life and Dave suffered a dreadful stroke which robbed him of the movement on his right hand side and, most terribly, his speech. Also, due to his diabetes he lost both of his legs and was confined to a wheelchair for the last 6 years of his life. Notwithstanding this, Dave’s spirit shone through and he made the best of things. His death on 4th March 2009 from a massive heart attack was a blessed release and we are told he did not suffer. Although it could be said that Dave’s life was cut short, he lived his life to the full. I think that all would agree that the world was a better place for Dave being in it.