'He was the most genuine man you could meet': Remembering Preston's famous window cleaner Arthur Eteson

He was a familiar face in Preston, known for cleaning windows on Ribbleton Lane for almost six decades.

After the sad news of his passing last week, November 20, aged 79, the Top Cafe and Uncle's Pawnbrokers have been raising money for his funeral, as he had no living family left.

Lee and Neil Cheetham, of Uncle's Pawnbrokers, had been close friends to Arthur for more than 30 years and said he 'had a heart of gold' - they were the closest thing to a family that Arthur had.

They have since placed his ladder, adorned with flowers, outside the shop in remembrance of him.

Known for his generosity and carrying money, Arthur's Dodgson Road flat was broken into in the early 1980's and he ended up homeless.

Lee offered out his self contained flat, above the pawnbrokers on Ribbleton Lane, and let Arthur stay there for nothing.

Lee said: "He had absolutely no family, but had been a close friend of my grandma's for years. He was like a samaritan to people, always doing things for people and always giving.

"We eventually took him in and he lived in the flat above our shop. He refused to put the heating on because of how much it would cost us and used to just put a jumper on.

"In the end we set the heating on and took the thermostat off the wall so he didn't get a choice. He came to ours every single Christmas and boxing day and was really part of the family.

"He was the most genuine man you could ever meet and everyone knew him as the hard worker he was. He will be missed by many."

A Facebook post from Top Café described Arthur as ‘selfless’ and expresses that the collection is to give Arthur ‘the send off he deserves’.

And the 79-year-old kept busy cleaning windows right up until the day of his death.

Helen Ball, Manager of Top Cafe said: "I don't think he has had any other family for many years and when he passed, he had no next of kin and no one to organise his funeral.

"Everyone on Ribbleton Lane knows him, he was a familiar face and has practically cleaned every window on this road for decades.

"When he died, he was left with nothing. He was the sort of person that everyone just thought would live forever. In the 18 months I have worked here he has been cleaning our windows.

"So many people have contacted the cafe and it just shows what people thought of him. It is overwhelming how popular he was in the area and he will be missed."

The funeral is set to take place at Preston crematorium on December 4, at 1pm, with local people encouraged to pay their respects.

A horse and carriage will follow his hearse from Dodgson Road to the crematorium on Londridge Road.

Lee added: "He was a much loved face at our Preston Store and highly regarded in the surrounding area.

"He had a heart of gold and would always put others before himself. He has no known family so we hope the community of Preston can give this gentleman the send off he rightly deserves."

Donations to the collections can be made by visiting Top Café or Uncles Pawnbrokers.

Thanks for reading. If you value what we do and are able to support us, a digital subscription is just £1 per month for the first two months. Try us today by ​clicking here