Tributes have been paid to a stalwart of llkley Playhouse who died suddenly at home on Sunday.

Pat Dyson was a well-known Ilkley resident and a long-serving assessor for the Wharfedale Festival of Theatre.

She and husband Alan moved to Ilkley in 1972 with their children Claire and Grant, and Pat joined the Ilkley Players where her versatility and talent established her as a leading light.

She appeared in plays and musicals and was an inventive director, using both these skills with other societies including Ilkley Operatic, Bingley Little Theatre and the Potato Room Players at the City of Varieties.

Her first love, however, was Ilkley Playhouse, where she gave unstintingly of her time on various committees and fundraising. Much of her hard work has helped to achieve the reputation the Playhouse enjoys today.

Her other passion was Ilkley’s Oxfam shop where she was volunteer manager for 25 years.

Two of her oldest friends at the Playhouse, Malcolm Pinder and Kay Vann said: “Pat was a one-off with a warmth of personality and generosity of spirit.”