Eccentric property tycoon dies (From Stroud News and Journal)

Eccentric property tycoon dies

AN ECCENTRIC property tycoon who lived a life of relative poverty has died in Stroud. Ken Hooper owned an estimated £17 million worth of property in and around the town including a number of the shops in Gloucester Street and the High Street. Originally he made his money as a bookie and garage owner running the King and Hooper's betting shop at the bottom of Gloucester Street and a filling station just around the corner. But it was through shrewd investment in the property market that he made his fortune. Despite his widely acknowledged wealth, however, Mr Hooper pursued a thrifty lifestyle. "He was one of the last characters of Stroud," said Mike Williams, a district councillor who remembers him well. Although not short of a couple of bob, Mr Hooper often seemed uncomfortable about spending his money. "I remember him coming into the Conservative Club one night back in the '70s when a pint of beer has just gone up to a pound," said Cllr Williams. "He said, 'That'll be the last time you see me in here' and he completely stopped going to pubs because he wasn't prepared to pay a pound for a pint. "And before Tesco opened 24 hours you'd see him there just before it shut buying all the things that had money knocked off." He was, however, a good landlord and preferred to see his properties occupied than to charge a high rent. Mr Hooper died last Wednesday at the Southfield residential home where he had spent the last years of his life.