Farewell Sir Jimmy: Tributes from young and old to one of city’s most famous sons

The book has been opened at Savile’s Hall, Leeds, a conference venue named in his honour in 2007 which features huge photos of Sir Jimmy posing with the Beatles and Elvis Presley, a reminder of his success as a star of British TV and radio in the 1960s, 70s and 80s.

Sir Jimmy was found dead at his Leeds home. Family members said he had died in his sleep.

Nephew Roger Foster said: “Jimmy was a wonderful man. His public face is well-known but we knew him as much more than an uncle. He was a very good friend.

“Jimmy will be sadly missed by very many people.”

Those who knew him have revealed that he had recently talked about his poor health.

Alan Franey, former chief executive of Broadmoor Hospital, said he had spoken to him last Wednesday and asked how he was.

“He said he was feeling very tired and short of breath. Mentally, he was very alert. But he said to me: ‘I’m coming to the end of the tunnel’.”

Flowers have been laid outside the fundraiser’s Roundhay home and local residents have voiced their sorrow at his death.

One woman said she had seen Sir Jimmy in a restaurant about two weeks ago. “He was really, really poorly. He really should not have been out. It’s the first time in all the times we’ve seen him that he didn’t have a joke.”

She added: “He always used to say to me and my friend – who are both in our nineties – when we used to be going out and we’d bump into him, he’d say, ‘are you clubbing, girls?”’