THE passing of ‘Mr Hobby Horse’ John Leech was being mourned in Minehead this week.

Mr Leech, who was synonymous with the town’s Original Sailors Hobby Horse, had been its custodian for decades until handing it down to Sophie James, who in turn passed it on to Jodie Thresher.

Poignantly, Mr Leech, believed to have been in his 80s, had a last dance in Wellington Square with the Original Sailors Hobby Horse during its traditional May Day outing last month.

Ms Thresher told the Free Press Mr Leech’s death was ‘incredibly sad’ and truly the ‘end of an era’.

She said: “John is the hobby horse really, he always has been.

“He was a lovely man.

“We got to see him this year and we had a last dance with him when we were out, but, of course, we did not realise it would be the last time.

“He was okay, but you could tell he was poorly but he still tried to have a dance with the horse and it put a smile on his face.”

Mr Leech, who worked as a gardener for the local council in his younger years, was renowned for his diving off the top board in the old Minehead Lido swimming pool, complete with somersaults.

He served at first as a volunteer lifeboatman with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution’s Minehead station and later became a full-time crewman with the charity.

Shortly before Christmas 1981 he was one of the RNLI crew who were sent to the Penlee station, near Mousehole, in Cornwall, to provide cover after the Solomon Browne lifeboat went down with the loss of all hands during an attempted rescue.

News of Mr Leech’s death in the past fortnight was only becoming public this week and prompted an outpouring of grief, with tributes and condolences to his widow Cindy expressed on social media, as residents repeatedly referred to him as ‘legendary’, a ‘true gentleman’, and ‘so kind’.

John Land, of the Traditional Sailors Hobby Horse, said on social media: “RIP John, I am so glad I was able to have a good chat with you on May 2.

“You were a brave, strong man, we may have had our differences over the years, but we both had respect for each other’

“Three cheers for the Old Quay Horse.”

Mr Land told the Free Press: “I have known John since I was a boy.

“He had so much stamina and was so strong and so fit, he could carry the hobby horse all day and all night without needing a break.”

Paul Wilson, also from the Traditional Sailors Horse, said: “In the 80s was when I first really knew John.

“He was a very kind man and really welcomed us into his house and generous with his time and his space welcoming us to follow the horse, which he gave his life to.”

Minehead Lifeboat Station flew its flag at half mast on Sunday as a mark of respect for Mr Leech and his family.