Nicholas Horsley

George Nicholas Seward Horsley (April 21 1934 to January 18 2004), known as Nicholas Horsley, was a leading Hull businessman, and chairman of Northern Foods.

Nicholas Horsley was born to a wealthy business family in Yorkshire, the second of the five children (three sons, two daughters) of Susan Howitt and Alec Horsley, the founder of Northern Foods. He attended Keswick grammar school, Bootham school, York, and Worcester College, Oxford, which he graduated with a third-class degree. Though his father (a Quaker) preferred conscientious objection, Nicholas did his national service during World War II without putting himself up for a commission.

A passionate Yorkshireman, womaniser, tennis player and gambler, Nicholas was married three times. Firstly to Valerie Edwards (a Welsh typist); they had three children, with whom Nicholas became estranged, named Ashley Horsley, Sebastian Horsley and Jason Horsley. After their divorce Horsley married Sabitha Sarkar in 1975 (divorcing 1987) and Alwyne Law in 1998. His first wife did not remarry, and maintains he was the "love of her life" (though she later became known as Valerie Walmsley-Hunter).

Initially attempting a career as a freelance journalist, Nicholas began work for Northern Foods (then Northern Dairies) in 1958 as trainee manager. In 1963 he became a director, and in 1969 (on his father's retiring) he became chairman. He was chairman of the Dairy Trade Federation from 1975-1977 and 1980-1985, and chairman of the BBC consultative group on industrial and business relations from 1980-1983. He also chaired the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Economic Board.

At the age of 53 Nicholas began to suffer a "rare genetic disease" which restricted him to a wheelchair due to the wasting of his thigh muscles (his sister Gilda is also a sufferer). He retired from Northern Foods and moved to the West Indies, where he held a number of posts, including deputy chairman of BICO, and director of the Pine Hill dairy. He struggled with depression and alcoholism for the remainder of his life, and died from heart failure on January the 18th 2004.

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