SETTLE haulier John Fox, known to many in the town as Fandango, has died at the age of 85.

John, born in Langcliffe to Alfred and Evelyn Fox, had a sister and two brothers. He attended Langcliffe and Ingleton schools.

His first job was for Langcliffe butcher J C Hartley and John would recall how he would collect the eggs. . He thought Mr Hartley would be pleased that every nest box had an egg but was laughed at as they were dummy eggs to encourage the hens to lay. A sheepish John had to return them back to the nest boxes.

John worked at Langcliffe’s top mill, now a stone yard, before National Service took him to Gibraltar where he was an army dispatch rider.

His colleagues were convinced that he would crash his motorbike on the way down the Rock of Gibraltar, such was his speed, but he survived. John crossed the border into Spain and danced the Fandango which became his “handle” on CB Radio.

On his return John attended a dance in Austwick and met Norah Newhouse. Norah was there with workmates from Ingleborough Hall School. It was an ‘Excuse Me’ dance but John held on to Nora from that day on.

His father, Alfred told Norah that his son had said; “I’ve just met the girl I’m going to marry”, and John and Norah celebrated their diamond wedding in 2016. Their son John was keen on all things mechanical and his father helped him set up a classic car restoration business.

The family became the first tenants of 96 Mill Close and John began driving for the quarry. He wanted to buy his own wagon but was dissuaded by his boss, his bank and his father. He went ahead anyway by selling his car and other items. Norah, a keen gardener, managed to hang onto her wellies by the skin of her teeth.

John’s work ethic was such that he traded up to larger trucks and drove for 40 years. He was a stock car racer known as Jack Fox. Quarry lads supported him on Friday’s race nights and helped with the inevitable repairs on Saturdays. Sundays were spent car booting with John specialising in restoring clocks and watches.

John and his “gang” supported Settle Carnival in costume, once as “The Magnificent Seven” and another year as beauty queens in bathing costumes. Despite his 16 stone frame John was quite a sight in fishnet stockings as “Miss Demeanour”.

John and Nora ran whist drives for charities but in retirement years of quarry dust took their toll. Fandango made his last journey to Settle Church surrounded by three generations of his family and close friends.