A Hendon man described as one of the leading collectors of postcards in the world died on Saturday aged 69.

Clive Smith was a postcard enthusiast and one of the most well-known figures in Hendon. His love of postcards went from being a hobby to him opening Memories, in Bell Lane, Hendon, in 1981. Ten years later the postcard and framing shop moved to Brent Street, Hendon, where it remains.

Mr Smith ran the shop with his 46-year-old son, David. He collected all types of postcards, but his passion was for Hendon and he took a particular interest in Hendon Aerodrome, the site of the current Grahame Park estate (named after pioneering aviator Claude Grahame White) and the RAF Museum.

As well as collecting postcards, Mr Smith published 15 books on local history including Flying At Hendon - A Pictorial Record, and Finchley As It Was.

David said his father had collected thousands of postcards over a 30-year period, but was unable to put a precise number on how many he had accumulated because he had so many.

"It started as a hobby for him and turned into a business," said David, who admitted it was hard to keep the shop going in the face of competition from the internet.

"Dad kept it going because it was his hobby and he was interested in it. He said the shop was always meant to be interesting for people to come in and he'd say they could spend all day here. That's still the case now. I'm going to carry it on as he would have wanted."

Close friend Rod Brewster, who worked at the Hendon Times Group for 46 years, 30 of them as a photographer, said: "He was probably one of the leading postcard collectors in the world and was known internationally as a postcard dealer.

"I was in the shop only last week and a television producer phoned up to ask him about postcards. He was a smashing bloke."

Peter Beal, Times Group chief photographer, who also knew Mr Smith well, added: "He was Mr Hendon. It's as simple as that."

Mr Smith is survived by wife Valerie, sons Phil and David, daughter Julie and seven grandchildren.

His funeral will be held on January 30, at Golders Green Crematorium, Hoop Lane, Golders Green, at 11.30am.