Family members have paid tribute to a photographer, historian and community figure who has died aged 101.

Born on July 15, 1913, Alfred Porter – more commonly known as Alf – died on December 30, having lived in the Stanmore and Edgware area all his life.

After leaving school at age 14, Mr Porter began work as a delivery boy for a butcher, but thrived in his career at De Havilland in Stag Lane, Edgware where he began as a labourer in 1939 but retired in 1977 as a senior technical engineer.

He celebrated his 101st birthday last year with four large parties, surrounded by friends and family, including daughter Janet Holden and son Brian Porter.

A family man, Mr Porter married his childhood sweetheart Jessie, whom he met aged five at Edgware School.

The couple were Youth Hostel Association members and loved travelling all over England and the British Isles, regularly taking walking trips and staying in youth hostels.

Alongside his career, Alf was also a qualified Red Cross first aider and attended the 1948 Olympic Games in Wembley while on duty – taking with him an excited daughter Janet, who was ten at the time.

Wembley was a regular destination for Mr Porter, who also ran the Edgware and Whitchurch boys gymnastic club, which gave a number of demonstrations at Wembley Arena along with other performances including the 1951 Southbank exhibition.

He was also interested in photography and the history of his town, serving as the President of the Stanmore and Harrow Historical Society for a number of years and writing books on the history of Edgware.

Janet said: “He was such a character - he was born in Edgware and lived most of his life there or in Stanmore - and was involved in so many things in the community.

“He loved his family of course, and there are certainly a lot of us, and he was delighted when my son made it over from Australia for his 100th birthday last July.”

An active conservationist, Mr Porter saved a number of community buildings from demolition and was dubbed a “champion of the underdog”.

Mr Porter's wife died in 1999. He leaves two children, five grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren.

A flag, bought by Mr Porter, is currently flying at half mast at the Bernays Memorial Hall in Stanmore, in respect for the man who helped save the hall from demolition.

His funeral will be held at Breakspear Crematorium, in Breakspear Road, Ruislip at 11.30am on January 19.