Well-known Alresford butcher, Charles Evans, has died, aged 90.

The well-respected pensioner, known universally as "Charlie", died in a Winchester nursing home on July 7th.

He was born in Hartley Wintney, one of a family of four brothers and one sister, moving to Alresford when he was quite young and being educated at the Dean School.

He left school at 13 and went to work for his father, a butcher who was in business in The Soke as C.E. Evans & Sons. However, in order to better himself, he went to work in Portsmouth and London where he became a qualified master butcher.

Charles was in the army during the war and after hostilities continued to work in London. He returned to Alresford in 1957, after his father died, to work with his brothers in the family business.

Charles and his wife, Marjorie, made their home in Pound Hill and had six children-- Pauline, Janet, Richard and Christine, who were born in London and Amanda and Philip, who were born in Alresford.

Marjorie died in 1983 just after the couple had moved to Bramble Hill.

The business was sold, but carried on trading as C.E. Evans & Sons. Charles, for whom work was a way of life, stayed full-time until he was 75, going on to work part-time and finally only hanging up his cleaver when he had reached the venerable age of 80.

All the butchers in the shop, which is now in West Street, were taught their trade by Charles.

In 1977, for the Queen's Silver Jubilee, Charles Evans roasted an ox at the bottom end of Broad Street, rising with the lark to get the fire going. It was ready in the early evening and was sold in bread rolls at 50p a time.

Charles was a twin and he and Gordon had a special celebration party at The Woolpack, at Totford, when they hit 80 and again when they were 90 last year in Bishop's Sutton Village Hall. Gordon just outlived his brother, dying last Friday, July 20th.

Charles had moved to sheltered accommodation at Chiltern Court, Alresford, in 1993. He attended the day centre in Old Alresford and, latterly, the centre in Kings Worthy. He died in Flowerdown Nursing Home, where he had been for only 33 days.

The funeral was held on Monday, with his daughters Pauline and Christine coming over from Germany and Vancouver Island. The service was conducted by lay reader, Dr Christopher Brill and Charles was interred with his wife, Marjorie, in Alresford churchyard.