Award winning photographer Ian Pert, who worked for the IW County Press and the Southern Evening Echo for almost 20 years, has died of Covid at the age of 88.

Ian led an astonishing, varied and adventurous life, tackling challenges head on, from creating a bar and running it in Menorca to continuing to travel all around the world well into his 80s with his partner Merrylin Holmes.

As well as being a dedicated press photographer, Ian was a keen sailor and cyclist, travelling with his bicycle to Cuba in the days when it was virtually closed to such tourism.

Brought up in Bexleyheath, Kent, Ian was evacuated to the Scottish Highlands during the war.

After leaving school he passed the Civil Service exam but was conscripted into the army where he served in the 17/21st Lancers before joining a tank regiment.

Ian’s versatility and can do attitude led to a huge variety of jobs including police officer, police photographer, bar owner in Menorca with his first wife, Angela, and their daughter, Lisa, press photographer for the Aldershot News and the Reading Evening Post, where he won an Olympus Award for his photograph of a wheelchair competitor in the town’s marathon, motorcycle courier and photography lecturer at FE colleges in Guildford and Reading.

Ian moved to the IW in 1987 (it was a cheaper place to moor his boat!) with his second wife, Suzanne, and their daughter, Lucy, and the couple went on to have son, Charlie.

Ian worked as a freelance photographer for the County Press and the Island office of the Southampton Evening Echo until he retired at nearly 70, moving afterwards to Cyprus where he met his partner, Merry.

When not exploring far-flung countries, the couple divided their time between Cyprus and Dover in Kent.

Latterly Ian suffered from dementia and in August went into Laureston House Care Home, where he received superb care from the dedicated staff.

Ian will be greatly missed by his daughters, son, grandchildren, his partner and his ex-wife.