A CHINGFORD artist who died aged 76 has been described as "a real gentleman" by his son.

Fred Brown is due to be cremated tomorrow before being buried with his parents at Chingford Cemetery.

Mr Brown lived in Rolls Park Avenue, Chingford, for about 50 years up until the late 80s.

He died at the end of June at his home in Ridgeway, Chingford.

Lawrence Brown, 46, said his father was an artist who specialised in sculptures and working with pastels.

He said his father exhibitied his work all over London and once made a bust of Frankie Howerd for the popular comedian and actor.

Mr Brown snr was a pupil at Bancroft's School in Woodford and was later in the same class as influential British artist David Hockney at St Martin's School of Art and Design in Holborn.

Mr Brown said his father first exhibited his work with the Isligton Pastel Society in the late 60s and he later had work on display at the Mall Galleries in The Mall in the late 70s.

Mr Brown said his father married his mother, Mary, a West Indian nurse, at Wood Green Registery Office in 1969.

The pair met on the 38 bus which passed the former Hackney Hospital where Mary was working.

Mr Brown jnr said: "My father was meant to get off the bus but he stayed on chatting to my mum and the rest is history."

He added: "When they got together in the 60s the idea of a white hippy man with a black girl was curtain twitching stuff, even among the more broad minded.

"My father was so against racist views or bigoted attitudes.

"He was a real gentleman who believed in proper equality and had positive views and believed in respect and honour."

Mr Brown, who lives in Takeley in Essex, said his father travelled extensively and produced a lot of art in Africa in the 90s.

Mr Brown and his mother persuaded Mr Brown snr to give up smoking when he was in his 40s.

He got himself fit and completed the london to Brighton bike ride four times.

Mr Brown jnr said his parents grew apart and split up in 1987 before his father remarried in 1990.

Mr Brown snr leaves his only son and seven grandchildren, he split from his second partner in 2005.

Tragically a coroner had to record the cause of Mr Brown's death as unascertained, due to advanced decomposition, as his body was not found for about a week.