THE county’s farming and sporting communities have been paying tribute to Leominster businessman John Hinton.

Mr Hinton died suddenly at home in Weobley on November 30. He leaves his wife Jane, daughter and son-in-law Sarah and Greg Powell and 10-yearold grandson Josh.

Mr Hinton’s brother Stuart, and nephew James, will continue to run the family business which is based on farming roots and has now diversified into property.

In the 1970s, the Hinton brothers founded their own business, Leominster Farm Supplies, following the death of their father Gordon.

Recognising property opportunities in the town, the pair quite literally changed the face of Leominster as they set about restoring various landmark buildings including the iconic Lion Ballroom, Broad Street.

Born in Leominster on August 26, 1941, John Lewis Hinton grew up in Leominster. His love of the countryside manifested itself at an early age as he helped his father on the family smallholding at The Rugg.

John was educated at Monmouth, but school holidays always involved pushbike forays into the north Herefordshire countryside with friends.

With the confidence of youth they pedalled off to far flung places and even made it to Paris on their pushbikes.

John became a farm student on a dairy farm at Marden and learned about hop growing at Ivingtonbury before attending the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester. He later helped his father develop the early potato trade from Pembrokeshire.

He worked long hours in those early days to give him time off at weekends to play his beloved rugby, first turning out for Old Luctonians and then joining Ludlow as a prop forward where he represented the first XV for nearly 20 years.

It was among the team’s supporters that he was to meet his wife, the former Jane Bodenham.

Married life began in Leominster and Sarah was born in 1968. The family moved out to Kingsland and then Weobley.

In later life he took up golf and played at the Herefordshire Golf Club, Wormsley.

However, John’s great passion was the beautiful Herefordshire countryside and the local people who helped in his success.

He never took for granted how his business had grown and become a success story.

Latterly, since Sarah and Greg moved to Sydney, John has enjoyed regular trips down under to visit them and he was to become a keen fan in the highly competitive world of junior tennis since Josh excels in the sport.

A service of thanksgiving for his life will be held on Monday, December 18, at Leominster Priory at 11am.