Tributes have been paid to a popular school teacher, lecturer and society president who has died after a battle with dementia.

Joseph Clifford Astin, known as Cliff, was one of the first teachers at Holy Family School in Accrington in 1960 and later taught at St Mary’s in Oswaldtwistle.

The grandfather-of-four served as president of Accrington Naturalists and Antiquarian Society and was also very popular on the lecture circuit, giving talks across the north west.

In recent years Cliff had been battling with dementia and passed away on November 25, aged 89.

His son Julian Astin said he was ‘very popular and very well respected’ with more than 200 people attending his funeral last week.

He said: “In the last few years he had dementia. It was a relatively benign version. He lost his memory quite profoundly in the latter stages. He wasn’t able to communicate very much but did recognise people.

“He was in and out of hospital and eventually caught pneumonia which he passed away from in combination with the underlying Alzheimer’s.

“He was a very outgoing and social person. He seemed to make friends very easily and was popular. He was jovial to work with.”

Son of a Ewbanks worker, Cliff was born and raised in Accrington and lived on Countess Street.

After completing his national service, he trained as a teacher and worked at eight different schools, including as house master and head of pastoral care at Moston Brook in Manchester.

After taking early retirement he gave lectures on the library circuit and over the years built up 85 different talks.

Julian, who lives in London, said: “He became very well known for doing that and so much so that he was interviewed by Radio Lancashire about his life and talks.

“I wouldn’t say he was a celebrity but he was very well known in the area for doing these things.

"He did many local history talks including ‘the Ribble from source to sea’, pub names, different countries and the Brontes and travelled to Yorkshire, Cheshire and the Lake District.”

Cliff moved from Accrington to Clitheroe more than a decade ago and a funeral service was held on Thursday, December 13.

He leaves wife of 63 years Megan, sons Julian and Roger and four grandchildren.