Sir Fred Hoyle was the kindest man you could wish to meet.

The Bingley-born scientist died on Tuesday, aged 86. And speaking from the family home in Gilstead where he was born, sister Joan Hoyle said she had never met a kinder man.

"He was the sweetest, kindest man and whatever you did for him he was always extremely grateful - he was so easy to please," said the 80-year-old.

"To fellow scientists he probably came across as being an argumentative fellow, but in his private life he was very easy going, loved a good laugh and was interested in all aspects of life."

As a child Fred sang with the choir at St Wilfrid's Church in Gilstead and achieved numerous awards with the church's Band of Hope temperance group.

"He had a lovely singing voice and he was always a big fan of classical music," said Miss Hoyle of Primrose Lane.

"Our parents were very musical. Mother taught piano and singing and father taught violin, so it was surprising that Fred chose the science path rather than the arts one."

Educated at Bingley Grammar School, where he established himself as a mathematical prodigy, Sir Fred went on to Emmanuel College at Cambridge.

After conducting research for the Admiralty during World War Two, he returned to astronomy and was famous for opposing the Big Bang theory.

Miss Hoyle said from a young age he was fascinated with the stars.

"My father, who also had an interest in astronomy, bought him his first telescope when he was about ten and Fred would sit on the front step night after night gazing up at the stars," she said.

"A family friend had a small observatory in Baildon and on frosty nights they would walk over the Glen and spend hours sitting in the cold and watching the stars. He loved it."

Sir Fred married Barbara Clark and they had two children, Geoffrey and Elizabeth.

He wrote science fiction novels with his son and moved to the Lake District and then Bournemouth to be near his son's family.

"He was still writing and he was working on another book at Christmas when he had his first stroke," said Miss Hoyle.

"The last time he came up here was about three years ago and he was keen to go out for a walk up to Dick Hudson's and to see if any of his old friends still lived in the village."

She said he also followed Bradford City and would go to support them as a child. His father, Benjamin, also took him to watch the cricket at Wagon Lane in Bingley.

He also loved walking and mountain climbing.

Sir Fred died in Bournemouth's Christchurch Hospital after the effects of a massive stroke in June which affected his speech and balance.

A private funeral will be held near his son's home next week.