TRIBUTES have been paid to local poet and musician, Nick Alexander, who was diagnosed with cancer two years ago, yet remained creative to the end.

In recent years he performed at the Worcester Music Festival, as well as giving readings at the Ledbury Poetry Festival.

Mr Alexander, who was 62, was also well-known for musical appearances with his band at the Prince of Wales pub in Church Street, Ledbury.

His friend, Jim Dening said: "Nick and I suddenly became pals, in 2011 or thereabouts – not long ago – probably in the Feathers or the Prince of Wales. We used to go to the Prince on Wednesday evenings, Nick to play and sing, I perhaps to drone or howl strange lyrics to musical backing. For a while we also attended The Retreat."

Mr Dening added: "Presently we, with like-minded friends took to attending business meetings at midday on Saturdays in the Prince of Wales around the committee table in the front bar. It was in the pub that Nick and I thought of starting a band, or group. I knew that he had been involved with bands in the past, but we resolved there should be something sublime about this one. Let’s call it Oxymoron, he said, with his liking for contradictions. – Let’s call it pOxymoron, I said, with my liking for contradictions. Since then, pOxymoron has performed not only in Ledbury but quite near Ledbury, and with a thrusting cd now published, and even recently with a female backing group known for some reason as the Poxettes.

"How can we continue? As one of our band colleagues, Mike Ruddick, has said: Nick was the glue in the band. He was willing to organise us and generate the set lists with a sympathy for both music and words. And likewise he has been the glue in much of our social life. It is not the same now, dropping into the Feathers or the Prince: in Nick we found not only friendship and warmth, debate and a good laugh – but satire and absurdity"

Mr Dening said: " We have admired his creativity: since his diagnosis some two years ago, Nick has been intensely productive. He has assembled and published comprehensive volumes of his poems, songs and stories. His posters – witty, wise and withering – continue to be printed by Mart at Tilley Printing, and sold at Tinsmiths.

"The best and most touching tribute came from his daughter Jess a day or two after he died: ‘he truly was a brilliant, eccentric, clever, popular and witty dad, son, brother, uncle and friend – he had so many friends who meant the world to him."

Mr Alexander died at St Michael's Hospice on January 8.

His funeral will take place Dymock Church on Monday, January 30 at 2 pm.

Family flowers only; but donations for St Michael's Hospice may be left in the donations box in church or sent to Holland Funeral Service, Malvern, WR14 3LS.