Tributes have been paid to a popular Norfolk landlord who became a familiar figure in his town due to his jovial sense of humour.

The family of Edward Aldous, known as 'Eddie,' have led the tributes to the Wymondham publican, who ran The Feathers pub in Town Green for 28 years and died suddenly aged 71 at the home he shared with his wife Valerie on February 5.

He had two daughters- Frances, 48 and Lorna, 46- three grandchildren, Louise, 24, James, 22 and Charlotte, 16 and three great-grandchildren Leo, six, Riley, four and Maisy, two.

He was born in Karachi, Pakistan in December 1940 to Ted, an RAF serviceman and Dorothy and spent his childhood travelling from place to place before following his father into the RAF where he worked in telecom communications. He was one of six boys.

He met his future wife Valerie Bishop while serving in the armed forces, which he left in his early 20s to move to Kimberley in Norfolk.

He joined Royal Mail as a postman in Norwich, a job he did for a number of years before leaving to join the pub trade.

He took on The Feathers pub on in 1984 and became a familiar figure among Wymondham residents not just for running the pub, but also for his involvement with local sports clubs, including sponsoring Wymondham Rugby Club. He was also a chairman of Wymondham Golf Society and a member of Bawburgh Golf Club.

In January 1993, the EDP reported how Mr Aldous took rumours of his death with his usual bonhomie.

Mystery tales had spread round the town that he dropped dead while working behind the bar, when he was actually playing a round of golf at Bawburgh Golf Club.

Even his uncle in Thetford had heard he had died and his butcher was about to order a wreath for him.

'I even had some people turning up at the pub wearing black to pay their last respects,' Mr Aldous said.

Fortunately, Mr Aldous and his wife took the whole thing in good humour and shared a joke about the bizarre episode with his regulars.

Last week, his family spoke of the shock after the landlord suddenly collapsed with a suspected heart attack, despite not having a history of heart disease.

His daughter's, said: ' Mum and dad enjoyed 50 years together and have a wide circle of friends. He was very involved in the local community and was a true friend to all that knew him and treated people with genuine kindness and dignity. He will be remembered for his sense of humour, his smile, his precense in the pub and will be sorely missed.'

Mr Aldous' funeral will be held at Wymondham Abbey this Monday, February 20 at 11am.