Nicholas Charles Hinde, who was the fourth generation to join the family business Bonds of Norwich, has died aged 78.

Mr Hinde joined the firm in 1957, which had been founded by his great grandfather Robert Herne Bond in 1879. By 1973 he became managing director of the company, overseeing a �1 million expansion. He bought the Dereham branch outright in 1982 after deciding to go it alone and it became Nicholas Hinde & Sons.

He was born into the family business in 1934 and loved spending his early years in the store. His mother Marjorie Bond was a director and his father Eric was managing director for 23 years. Eric Hinde was Lord Mayor of Norwich in 1951-1952 and during this time was the Norwich Festival of Britain, opened by the Queen, then Princess Elizabeth.

Shortly before his death he told his youngest son Jeremy that Sir Winston Churchill came to the opening and stayed in his parents Eaton home. 'Mother hated it - cigar smoke all over the house, but his wife was nice though,' he had said.

His training for the retail trade took place in London at D H Evans in Oxford Street and later Bentalls, of Kingston after schooling at Old Buckenham Hall and Lancing College in Sussex. He also spent 18 months in the Middle East on fast motor vessels attached to the Royal Army Service Corps in the early 1950s.

When he took the Dereham store over he transformed it to twice its previous size opening an entirely new first floor, offering an extensive range of women's fashions and a coffee shop as part of a massive �180,000 facelift.

Other departments, including menswear, children's clothes, textiles and gifts, were also enlarged and he used the motto 'first class service at reasonable prices'.

On his retirement in 1989 the store was taken over by another local department store business Palmers. Bonds of Norwich became part of the John Lewis Partnership in 1982 but only adopted the name in 2001.

Away from the business he had many community and charity roles including president of the Friends of Norwich Hospitals contributing to an unbroken 50 years of Hinde commitment as both his father and his grandfather had chaired the charity. He was a council member of the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association and a magistrate in the city. As chairman of Dereham Chamber of Trade and also chairman of the county's agricultural wages committee he campaigned against Sunday opening. 'I am incensed by the idea. It is impractical and unnecessary,' he was quoted as saying. He was involved in the St Peter Mancroft Church Appeal, president of the Friends of Dereham Hospital, and chairman of the St Nicholas' Church Appeal. The church needed �200,000 for its restoration - the biggest cash appeal Dereham had ever seen.

Mr Hinde lived with his wife Joanna and three children Peter, Sara and Jeremy for many years at Wicklewood, near Wymondham where he bred pigeons and Simmental cows while Joanna was a keen horsewoman. He also enjoyed sailing and shooting.

The couple moved to East Raynham in 1991. They were married for 43 years but after Joanna's sudden death in 2003 Mr Hinde's health started to decline and the past two years were spent at Hassingham House care home.

He also leaves six grandchildren.

There will be a private family cremation but a service of thanksgiving will be held at St Mary's Church, East Raynham on Monday, October 29 at 12noon. Family flowers only but donations for Norfolk Wildlife Trust c/o Canler & Son, Funeral Directors, 12 Highfield Rd, Fakenham, NR21 9DH.