FAMILY and countless friends are mourning the death of a 95 years 'young' gentleman who earned local legend status as a hairdresser and crown green bowler.

Bright as a button until recently, great-grandfather Bill Ratcliffe, of Windle died in Whiston Hospital on Sunday. He also leaves his daughter Joan and son David (also a retired hairdresser).

Dapper and of military bearing, ex-Desert Rat bombardier Bill cut a resplendent figure at Remembrance Day parades at the town's war memorial and St Andrew's Church, Dentons Green, where he proudly wore several campaign medals.

Born in Queen Street in 1910, he was a pupil at Windle School and a boy soprano and Sunday School teacher at St Mark's Church, North Road, from where he wooed and wed his beloved Sally, who died in 1986.

Bill first worked part-time as a bread lad from the age of eight and originally had designs on becoming a glass cutter with Pilkingtons.

Changing course to a world of dubbers and cut-throat razor in 1925, the resourceful Ratcliffe enjoyed his initial 'brush' as a lather boy with Myatt's, George Street. Adamant that he was a hairdresser and NOT a barber, Bill served his apprenticeship prior to hoisting his own trademark red-and-white pole at salons in Market Street and Westfield Street.

He later lectured in hairdressing at St Helens College; reluctantly gave up driving at the age of 88; and liked nothing better than trundling a mean wood on Greenall's green in Alder Hey Road. Bill often followed this with a well-concealed hand of dominoes with Fred Austin, Louis Jones and company.

Add the aplomb of Fred Astaire when the band struck up, a wee dram, and the pen-picture of Bill Ratcliffe is complete, save for a nightly King Edward cigar at his favourite watering-hole Greenall's, the pungent aroma from which had fellow tipplers heading for the exits.

A funeral service will be held at St Andrew's Church, on Friday, September 1 at 2.15pm followed by cremation, before a reception in memory of 'Bombardier Bill at Greenall's social club.