Bracknell

A respected former Bracknell Forest councillor has died suddenly. Len Blake, who represented Bullbrook and Priestwood wards between 1983 and 1991, was in his mid-eighties when he passed away at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading last Wednesday (December 10).

Mr Blake served as a local politician for more than 25 years, first as a county councillor for Bullbrook, and then on the Bracknell district and borough councils.

He and his wife, Olive, lived in Bracknell for 50 years.

During the Second World War Mr Blake was an RAF pilot flying Bristol Beaufighters. After the war he joined Vickers engineering company and then worked at the Avis car hire firm as an accountant.

Aside from local Bracknell politics, Mr Blake was involved with local charities, offering his accountancy skills for free and raising money for such good causes as the Diana Brimblecombe Animal Rescue Centre.

Cllr Jacqui Ryder, who now represents Priestwood and Garth ward, said: "Len Blake was dedicated local politician who served the community very well. Although he retired from the council in 1991 I’m sure there are still many people who remember all his hard work."

Mr Blake’s funeral will take place on Tuesday, December 23, at 12 noon at the Easthampstead Crematorium in Bracknell. Everyone who knew him is invited to attend, while flowers can be sent to A B Walker funeral directors at 157 Binfield Road, Bracknell.

Bracknell Forest Council