TRIBUTES are flowing for another of Hamilton’s great and much-loved local identities - Lloyd Vivian Hocking - who passed away last Wednesday, aged 86.

Mr Hocking was well known for his lively and friendly character from his role as a chemist at David Lloyd Pharmacy on Gray Street for 46 years, between the years of 1954 and 2000.

Mr Hocking was fortunate to begin his career under the guidance of Stan Robson as an apprentice, in Hamilton, before qualifying as a pharmaceutical chemist in 1958.

In those days it required two years by correspondence and then a further two years at Pharmacy College, Mr Hocking told the Hamilton Spectator in 2000.

He would have been one of the last to qualify as a chemist via that career path as shortly afterwards, it became purely a university qualification.

Mr Robson purchased Rountrees’ Central Pharmacy in 1958 at 124 Gray Street, where he assigned Mr Hocking to manage in 1959.

Mr Robson also trained his eldest son, David, and in 1963, all three men formed a partnership at the 124 Gray Street site, which was renamed David Lloyd and Co, derived from the Christian names of the two apprentices, Lloyd Hocking and David Robson.

During the 1960s, Mr Robson’s son moved to 160 Gray Street, Robson’s Pharmacy, before leaving to study medicine in 1970.

It was convenient that another pharmacist and future partner in David Kennett shared the same Christian name with Mr Robson’s son.

In 1972 the shop next door was purchased, and it became a double fronted outlet at 122-124 Gray Street, where Mr Hocking worked for his entire career during which he said he dispensed about 800,000 prescriptions.

He retired in 2000 due to health issues and when interviewed at the time, told the Hamilton Spectator that in earlier years, he used to mix up copious amounts of “mixtures and home brews” and ointments that just flew off the shelves. 

The trade changed dramatically over the course of his career and towards his retirement, he said it had become all about punching keys on computers and dispensing prescriptions for pills.

Throughout his working life, he was an iconic figure driving down the main street of Hamilton in his first vintage car restoration project, a self-made, aluminium bodied 1927 Swift Roadster.

Many locals would recall the image of him in his open top classic in rain, hail or shine with a scarf around his neck, using his hands as signals to indicate when he was turning left or right, often wearing a traditional deer stalker’s hat with ear flaps down.

In 1970, Mr Hocking was one of the founding members of the Hamilton and District Veteran, Vintage, Classic Driver’s Club who paid tribute to Mr Hocking in a Facebook post last week.

The club honoured him for his famous ‘This and That’ newsletter he wrote right up until when he went into care at the Coleraine Hostel in recent weeks. 

He restored many vintage cars including a 1920 Essex Four Tourer, which he also drove to work, again totally re-bodied in aluminium by himself (and no roof) - and a 1925 Ceirano Sports.

He told the Hamilton Spectator in 1988 that when he was driving the Essex Four to work, “if you’re up around 30 or 40 miles per hour in the rain, you do get wet, but you miss much of it…the rain goes over the top. And, of course, I’ve got my hat and a sheepskin coat. What do I want a roof for?”.

Mr Hocking was also a passionate musician and was a founding member of the local jazz band, The Evergreens, of which he was a greatly respected clarinet player. 

Band members also paid tribute and said his clarinet solos and entertaining character would be greatly missed. 

Mr Hocking also had a successful career in football with the Hamilton Magpies, playing in the latter two of three premierships they won between 1957-1959.

He was well known for his contribution to the local community in later years as a greatly respected Hamilton Rotarian and a member of Hamilton Combined Probus Club.

A big part of his life in recent years was meeting with his beloved vintage car club on Sunday mornings at Cafe Catalpa at Tarrington and then after its closure, moving to the Bridge Café at Cavendish.

Mr Hocking’s wife, Mary, passed away 15 years ago. They are survived by their three children, Jane, Andrew, Blair, and three grandchildren.