A LEADING amateur dramatist from Worcestershire, who was a member of the Swan Theatre's founding group, has died at the age of 91.

Frank Head, who lived in the county for more than 50 years, died in a Redditch hospital on Sunday, March 9, after a short illness.

Frank was well known on the stage during his active years and was also a founder member of the Society for the Advancement of Music and the Arts.

He ran the British Drama League festivals in the city and dedicated much of his time to encouraging local actors.

Frank was born in Bristol in 1911, and though his family moved around too much to ensure a good education, it made him determined that his three children should have one.

"He had strong moral standards and wanted to make sure that we all had a good education," said his son, David. "He made us work hard at school but we were rewarded for it."

Frank moved to Taunton with his wife, Adele, where he worked for the insurance firm Road, Transport and General. All three children - David, Michael and Jennifer - were born there.

In 1949, Frank's job moved the family to St John's, Worcester, when he was promoted to resident inspector, working from offices in Foregate Street.

Frank retired at the age of 64 and in later years moved to Claines, where he was a keen cyclist and walker. He wrote extensively on caravan touring for several national magazines.

Frank's wife Adele, or "Dell" as she was known, died almost 20 years ago, and Frank spent his last days at a residential home in Droitwich.

"Everything he did was very thorough," said David. "If he went walking he would make sure he knew the history of the area and had a detailed map with him.

"He would be able to tell locals even more about their area than they knew.

"He very much believed that if a job is worth doing it is worth doing well."