Obituary
Family and former colleagues remember pub operator and trade charity fundraiser
James Oswald Elster passed away on 1 November at the age of 88 after dedicating many years to the hospitality industry.
After studying engineering and working in the catering industry, it was 1965 when he took on his first pub, the Old Ivy House, in Hackney, east London, where he met his wife, Carol. Less than two years later he took on a second outlet, the nearby Crown & Castle, in Dalston Junction, which he ran until 1979, when he took on his last pub, the Seven Arches in Brentwood, Essex. While there he and his wife opened what they claimed to be the first Champagne bar in the county.
The publican left the Seven Arches in 1981, but continued in the trade, working first for Grierson-Blumenthal selling German beer, and then for Roses of Tottenham, selling wines and spirits.
Help for those in need
Elster dedicated much of his life to helping those in need, including taking on the role of Governor of the then Society of Licensed Victuallers and Licensed Victuallers Schools (now the Licensed Trade Charity) in 1974-75. During his term in office, he and his team raised more than £100,000 for the Licensed Victuallers Schools.
Former SLV trustee Annette King said: “As soon as I heard the news about Jimmy’s death I was sad. I felt very honoured to have known him.
“When I first joined the charity as a trustee, Jimmy appointed himself my guardian and sat with me through my early meetings. He steered me through what looked and felt like an ocean of paperwork and red tape.
“He would often cut through the severity and gloom of what we were dealing with in support and care meetings and would come out with one-liners or funny remarks that lightened our spirits and helped us carry on. He was a one-off, unique individual.”
Elster, however, didn’t just support licensed trade causes. He involved himself in and raised large sums of money for a range of diverse charities.
Made a difference in this world
His daughter, Nikki Elster, said: “He was a confident, charismatic man who made a difference in this world in so many ways, but there was nothing more important to him than his family."
Born in Vienna, in Austria, Elster arrived in England as a child with his brother during the Second World War. He was transported to this country as part of the Kindertransport initiative, the informal name of a series of rescue efforts that saved thousands of refugee children from the terror of Nazi Germany and brought them to Britain for safety. As a result, he spent his early years in an orphanage in Blackburn, Lancashire (Picture: Elster in front of gentleman with hat, on the left).
He was rightly proud of his roots, but also fiercely British and was greatly honoured when he was made a Freeman of the City of London.
Elster is survived by his wife, four children, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
The funeral will be held at Thanet Crematorium in Margate, Kent, on Thursday (17 November) at 2.30pm. Donations to charities chosen by the family can be made by contacting Gore Brothers funeral directors on 01843 223534.
