If you haven’t already been seduced by the beauty and drama of the Yorkshire coast then Mark Denton’s book of stunning photographs is going to see it racing to the top of the must-see British holiday locations.

Using a panoramic film camera, Denton has captured the landmarks, hidden coves and seascapes of this magnificent stretch of coast from Staithes in the north to Spurn Head in the south, with detailed sections on Whitby, Robin Hood’s Bay, Scarborough and Flamborough.

The array of breathtaking photos is accompanied by an account of the area’s history and landscape by local man G.P. Taylor, author of the Shadowmancer series of children’s ghost stories and the recently retired vicar of Cloughton near Scarborough.

Denton is now recognised as one of Britain’s finest young landscape photographers and this amazing book is a reminder of his talents, a visual feast for those new to this part of the country and a nostalgic treat for initiated Yorkshire fans.

You can always expect the unexpected with Denton’s photography... the remains of a broken boat and the warren of narrow coves are a reminder of the smugglers who once walked these shores and hid their contraband in the nooks and crannies of the cliffs.

And there are reminders that this can be a dangerous coastline where people have drowned and many have been rescued by the brave work of the lifeboatmen, coastgurads and Royal Navy personnel.

Readers can take a trip to Staithes, a timeless coastal village so close to the sea ‘that one always gets the impression that the sea itself wants to claw it back beneath the waves,’ or take in classic views of Whitby and its iconic 10th century abbey that ‘resembles the disintegrating ribcage of a giant dinosaur.’

Enjoy the sunlight glinting from the hotels and flats of North Bay on a snowy afternoon in Scarborough or marvel at colours comparable to the Arizona wilderness as the dawn light hits Filey Brigg.

See the upright posts of the decaying groynes at Spurn Point, standing like sculptures to commemorate man’s failed attempts to control the elements, and witness the march of progress in Scarborough where the rugged hulks of working boats are now heavily outnumbered by privately owned yachts.

With climate change threatening the future of our coastlines, this book of superb photographs is a lasting and treasured pictorial reference to the outstanding beauty of this corner of England.

(Frances Lincoln, paperback, £9.99)

Can’t nod off? Need an entertaining and amusing companion to help you while away those seemingly endless sleepless nights? Help is at hand...

Reach out for An Insomniac’s Guide to the Small Hours and you can at least laugh yourself, if not to sleep, into the welcome rays of dawn.

Kath Walker, who lives in Preston, and Ysenda Maxtone Graham are becoming an impressive double act, with Walker’s brilliantly evocative illustrations proving the perfect foil for Graham’s pithy and perceptive humour.

The two have already worked together on the illustrations for Graham’s weekly column in the Sunday Express Magazine and collaborated successfully on Mr Tibbits’s Catholic School, a witty and affectionate take on old school memories, which garnered a cult following.

Here they direct their talents at the frustrations of sleeplessness, the approach of that landmark time when you finally head for bed, the place you have wanted to be all day because you are overworked and underappreciated, and the only thing that got you out of bed that morning was the thought of getting back in it again.

So there you are... in bed, on the cusp of sleep, drifting off. It’s such a relief. For what we are about to receive may the Lord make us truly thankful. But then your mind wanders into territory where it should not go, from fears of dying to broken light bulbs, from redundancy to unwritten thank-you letters.

You’re in the wrong position, lying on your back like a knight on his tomb. Should your hands be on rather under the covers, do you turn towards or away from your partner, should you turn your pillow over and did you choose the wrong tog-factor for the duvet?

And there are so many things to consider doing while waiting for sleep to descend. Would it be a good moment to plough on with the book-group book, should you go and say hello to the dog (who doesn’t have insomnia, by the way) or should you go down to the kitchen and check your phone for messages?

The minutes are ticking by and you know it’s going to be another one of those nights. Those nights which seem to go on forever, when all the cares of the world weigh down on your shoulders...

This clever, comical book is the perfect gift for anyone who has ever spent a night tossing and turning, worrying about life’s worst scenarios and longing for sleep to overtake them. It’s also an amusing insight into insomnia for all those who regard the witching hours as another country!

(Short Books, hardback, £10)

Developers hoping to build up to 800 new homes on the northern edge of Beverley say demand for new housing in the town more than justifies their proposal.

The consortium behind the so-called Longcroft Project also believes there is a need for “all corners of Beverley” to share in the new housing allocation over the next decade or so, including the northern part of the town.

Michael Wright, of North Bar Homes, one of the two lead members of the consortium, says all areas of Beverley should play a part in the provision of the next generation of new homes.

He added: “The consortium has held detailed discussions with land owners that make our proposal for the Longcroft Project a genuine, achievable goal. In addition to acquiring this undeveloped land, we are also hoping the East Riding of Yorkshire Council will work with us so that we can build a much-needed replacement for the very tired Longcroft School.

“We make no secret of the fact that the return from the new housing investment would provide the £25m needed for the new school, enabling us to gift it to the town, but we want to show people that our plan is not solely about improving educational facilities, although that would be an enormous benefit for pupils and parents of the future.

“The Government has already announced that over the next 10 to 15 years, Beverley will have to provide land for 3,200 new homes. If all those properties were built in one particular area we risk creating a huge planning imbalance and pushing thousands of residents further away from the town centre and closer to Kingswood on the northern edge of Hull.

“We know there is a demand for new housing in Beverley but there is clearly not enough space within the town boundaries for significant development. Nor do we agree with some people’s suggestions that a new, mini-town should be built somewhere in the East Riding to cater for this demand.

“Beverley is the East Riding’s commercial hub and the arrival of 800 new homes and around 2,500 more residents will further strengthen the position of local traders and businesses. We anticipate our scheme would generate between £10m and £15m a year additional income to the local economy”.

An application for outline planning consent for the Longcroft Project could be submitted as early as the end of the year. Planners are currently putting the finishing touches to the scheme, which will see investment in a new localised road plan, including a west-north relief road, to take traffic away from the currently congested approaches to the school.

The proposal also includes the development of a science park, including a research and training facility possibly focussing on the renewables industry, a care home, a small hotel and a petrol station.

Michael Wright said: “While some local residents are opposed to our plans, we have generally been very encouraged by the public’s reaction. Basically, we propose to provide new housing – a must for Beverley over the next 10 years – a state-of-the-art school providing a better learning and teaching environment, and a scheme that will expand Beverley in such a way that it does not fall closer to the clutches of Hull”.

Over the next month, the consortium is to hold a consultation programme culminating in a public exhibition. The venue and dates of the exhibition will be announced within the next few days.

Inspired by Fitzgerald, Waugh and the grand mansions featured in The Great Gatsby and Brideshead Revisited, Morgan McCarthy turns Evendon, a rambling 15th century Welsh manor house, into her own literary landmark.

Rarely do debut novels achieve such impact but from its languid, lyrical prose through a cast of coruscating characters and onto its haunting climax, The Other Half of Me is a darkly impressive tale of family secrets, aching loneliness, faded grandeur and sibling love.

Assured and accomplished, this is a book to roll around the mind, a slow-burning, intriguing mystery which flames into an addictive and affecting elegy to the pains of youth and the powerful forces of the past.

In 1988, Jonathan and Theodora Anthony’s childhood at the family’s ancestral home near Carmarthen is one in which money is abundant but nurture is scarce.

Their grandmother Eve Anthony is a hotel magnate in America, their father died when they were very young and their mother Alicia is an alcoholic with no energy left to love them.

The brother and sister, as different in looks as they are in character, are largely left to roam around their sprawling estate, looking after only themselves and each other. They exist in an air of lethargic indifference to the real world with Jonathan motivated only by an overriding desire to protect his detached and ethereal sister Theo.

The household, run by a housekeeper, nanny, cook, maids and gardeners, lives under the sense of grandmother Eve’s absence, the feeling that something important is missing.

So when Eve returns to the family home after Alicia is carted off for treatment, she brings fresh impetus to Evendon’s torpid and heavy silence.

A commanding figure who is as enchanting as she is forbidding, Eve takes the two lost children under her wing, answering questions about their family history that have always been ignored, particularly the early years of their parents’ marriage which appeared to have been destroyed by ‘some kind of tornado’ that had flung out nothing salvageable.

But as Jonathan and Theo grow older and they struggle to form relationships and adapt to the outside world, they discover that much of what Eve has told them is a fiction and that something dark and sinister lies in their past...

Jonathan, narrator and the novel’s driving force, is our pilot through the minefield of this masterful coming-of-age drama, the spectrum through which we view Alicia’s emotional wasteland, the charismatic, complex Eve and the needy, impractical and dream-like Theo.

The sense of menace and foreboding that threads through the narrative adds depth and resonance whilst the unspoken but deep-rooted love between brother and sister is the subtle, gripping kernel of the story as they are propelled through misunderstanding, revelation, betrayal and grief.

But, as McCarthy’s story so exquisitely expounds, no relationship is perfect and it is those flaws that can cause a tragic unravelling of the ties that bind us together.

Emotional, convincing and absorbing, The Other Half of Me is a brilliant first novel from a promising new author.

(Headline Review, paperback, £7.99)

Christmas can’t come too early for kids... and Piccadilly Press have a sack full of ideal book gifts on Santa’s sledge this year!

An independent publisher, they have been specialising in teen fiction and non-fiction, children’s fiction, picture books and parenting books for 29 years and have a wide choice of reading for youngsters aged from two to sixteen.

So take a look through just some of their superb books and give children a festive treat as the page gets ready to turn on another year of reading.

Age 2 plus:

It’s Time for Bed by Adèle Geras and Sophy Williams

There’s nothing like a book at bedtime to calm and soothe toddlers and this beautifully illustrated and reassuring picture book has all the makings of a modern classic. Williams’ exquisitely tender drawings complement an endearing story full of comfort and love, the ideal wind-down for active pre-schoolers. When Mother says it’s bedtime, Little Hare announces that he can’t go to sleep until Mouse does, so his mother sings a lullaby for Mouse. Then all the other animals and toys need lullabies too. As Mother sings, we follow the daytime activities of the woodland animals and toys until it is Little Hare’s own bedtime with a special ‘Goodnight, sleep tight.’ The perfect book to end a busy day, calm tantrums and leave parents and toddlers with a peaceful glow.

(paperback, £6.99)

Age 5 plus:

Princess Katie’s Kittens: Suki in the Snow by Julie Sykes

Every little girl’s dream... a princess, a palace, six cute kittens and a book that really does sparkle! Suki has crept into Princess Katie’s luggage to join her on her skiing holiday. But Suki soon misses the other kittens and when she tries to make her own way home, Katie and her friend Becky have a race against time to find the little white kitten. She’s lost in the snow, night will be falling soon and it might be too late to save her. Julie Sykes combines exciting adventures with adorable characters, and lots of helpful tips on real-life pet care, to create a series purrfectly pitched for little girls aged five and over. Warm, wise and wonderful, all the books contain important messages as well as bundles of furry fun.

(paperback, £4.99)

Age 6 plus:

Bella Donna: Cat Magic by Ruth Symes

They say you should never work with children and animals but author Ruth Symes and illustrator Marion Lindsay have discovered they are a perfect combination! Here they team them up with some wonderfully bewitching witchcraft for a series of animal magic and mayhem which will cast a spell over little girls. Where is Pegatha? Young witch Bella Donna’s favourite cat goes missing and Bella tries out every spell she can think of to find her. All the other witches in Coven Road get on their broomsticks to join the search, but with no luck. There’s only one explanation – someone must have put a spell on Pegatha. But who, and why? Marion Lindsay’s endearing, expressive drawings add extra shine to a warm, reassuring and uplifting series which never loses its sense of fun, magic and adventure.

(paperback, £5.99)

Super Soccer Boy and the Monster Mutants by Judy Brown

What boy can resist a story featuring football, superheroes and monsters? Judy Brown has an unerring instinct for exactly the kind of humour that is irresistible to young boys and her funny, wacky hero Harry Gribble is the perfect hero for reluctant young readers with his madcap humour and outlandish antics. Plants are growing out of control in Middletown and beginning to attack people who mysteriously turn green! It’s not long before these green mutants start behaving oddly, and even sprouting leaves. Are they becoming plants too? Harry Gribble, also known as Super Soccer Boy, needs all his skills to stop the town turning into a jungle. Can Super Soccer Boy tackle these mental mutants? This colourful book is packed with Brown’s own illustrations which help to give the story a visual flow. Young boys who claim they would rather play soccer than read about it are going to get a surprise kick out of this brilliant story which is really on the ball when it comes to fun and games.

(paperback, £4.99)

Downtown Dinosaurs: Dinosaurs in Disguise by Jeanne Willis and Arthur Robins

Author Jeanne Willis and illustrator Arthur Robins return with more dinosaur drama in the funniest kids’ series since the Cretaceous Period! T. Rex Flint Beastwood is furious. Dippy has gone missing in the forest, just when Flint needed him to clean his toenails! But when Darwin the stegosaurus goes missing too, the herbivores send out a search party. They soon find it’s dangerous in the woods with Flint’s deadly carnivore gang and a scary new dinosaur. So they come up with a brilliant idea – to disguise themselves as trees! And as the two groups descend on No Man’s Land, it’s bound to end in disaster... Every picture, every page tells a story in this funny, charming and deliciously daft romp through the woods with a pack of loony and lovable dinosaurs. Little boys (and little girls too!) will be laughing all the way to bed as they snuggle up for a chapter of the Downtown Dinosaurs.

(paperback, £5.99)

Age 8 plus:

Alien Schoolboy’s Guide to Earthlings by Ros Asquith

Ros Asquith’s sparkling series just gets better and better, and boy, oh boy, what have we here this time? It’s a one-off chance to look at life from an alien point of view, a truly terrifying look at one of the most ridiculous places in the Universe. Flowkwee, visiting Earth in schoolboy disguise, has put together this A-Z guide to help other bamboozled aliens get to grips with the primitive planet, its strange language and its hideous inhabitants. There are entertaining entries on everything from ‘jumper’ (a very disappointing item of clothing which hardly moves at all, let alone jumps) to chocolate (Flowkwee loves sweets and chocolates, especially the lovely crunchy wrappers!) With illustrations as zany as the A to Z guide, this imaginative and clever book contains the secret ingredient for all little boys – the chuckle factor! The jokes are wicked, the concept is utterly ingenious and reading between the exuberant energy and hilarious humour of this book, parents and kids will discover hidden gems of acute observation on the irrationality and uniquely bizarre nature of human life.

(paperback, £6.99)

Age 12 plus:

Neptune’s Tears by Susan Waggoner

Step into the future and join Susan Waggoner as she takes teen readers on a thrilling ride featuring love against the odds. Neptune’s Tears, fast becoming an international hit, is a modern take on Romeo and Juliet, a tale of star-crossed lovers launched on an adventure that soars through time and space.

It’s 2218 and Zee McAdams is in her second year as a healing ‘empath’ at a busy London hospital. When a mysterious young man becomes her patient, Zee’s hard won calm is pierced. Her attraction is complicated by the fact that David Sutton is an alien, a group whose presence – and purpose – on Earth is deeply mistrusted.

When London and other cities experience a wave of anarchist attacks, Zee and David are brought even closer together. The more time Zee spends with David, the more she likes him – and the more questions she has. Even as their relationship deepens, Zee knows that David is still hiding something from her. Will Zee have the courage to follow her heart, no matter what the dangers and no matter where it takes her?

Fast-paced, original, captivating and ambitious in its scope, Waggoner’s intelligent story offers a futuristic vision that both excites and terrifies. Young love, mystery and suspense combine in a scintillating sci-fi adventure, all the elements that, for a teenager, make reading a book a joy rather than a chore.

(paperback, £6.99)

New research on green entrepreneurs by the University of Hull has found that the UK’s sustainable construction sector could miss out on a great opportunity.

Respondents to the largest and most in-depth qualitative survey of the sector yet undertaken called for a clear strategic view from government to enable the transition to greener building practices. They cited inconsistent central and local government policies, low investment and lack of support as issues that are holding back business development.

Researchers from the University of Hull’s Department of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences found that green construction businesses are facing major obstacles, including:

* a tendency for government policy to favour large businesses in the construction sector over small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs);

* wide variation in the application of planning rules across different local authority areas that stifle innovation in sustainable building;

* risk averseness by banks unwilling to invest in green businesses and;

* a shortage of skilled labour capable of using sustainable building materials coupled with a lack of knowledge to incorporate new green technologies into buildings

Research took the form of in-depth interviews with 50 businesses and policy makers engaged in a wide range of practices aimed at reducing the environmental impact of building – from the use of straw, hemp or rammed earth as building materials, to installing cutting edge technologies to reduce energy consumption after construction.

While output in Britain’s mainstream construction sector continues to fall, green builders are bucking the trend as homeowners take action to reduce the costs of heating their homes, creating a huge opportunity for entrepreneurs and faster growth in the sector.

With its roots in the 1970s ‘alternative technology’ movement, green construction is rapidly gaining acceptance in the mainstream. The survey found that today’s green entrepreneurs, inspired by German green building pioneers, are attempting to combine environmental and business objectives and to educate customers, suppliers and the wider building sector about green building practices.

Researchers, Prof David Gibbs and Dr Kirstie O’Neill, said that they hoped their work would encourage policymakers to consider the real problems faced by green entrepreneurs in the sustainable construction sector.

Dr O’Neill said: “We’ve had a remarkable response from small businesses prepared to give up their time to voice their concerns. Much is made by the current government of its green credentials, but our research suggest that there is something of a gap between the rhetoric and the situation on the ground.”

Prof Gibbs added: “Our research indicates that the UK could miss out on a big opportunity if comprehensive measures are not put in place to support this innovative sector.”

The interim findings, published by Emerald and to be launched at the Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship’s annual conference in Dublin today (November 8), form part of a wider University of Hull research project into green entrepreneurship.

A DRIVING ban for a Nafferton man who relied on using his vehicle for work has been described in court as a “catastrophe.”

Martin Lovel, 44, of Eastgate pleaded guilty to drink driving when he was brought before magistrates in Bridlington last Wednesday.

The court heard that Lovel had 115 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of urine when he was stoped by police in Nafferton on August 10 of this year - the legal limit is 107 milligrammes.

Prosecutor Sally Robinson told the court that when officers stopped Lovel they could smell alcohol on him and he told them he had had a drink half an hour previously.

A road side breath test revelaed 48 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 mililitres of breath, with the leagl limit being 35 microgrammes and a further urine sample was then taken at Bridlington Police Station.

In mitigation Robert Vining said: “One word, catastrophe. The defendant is a self-employed gardener and pressure washer.”

“Nafferton hasn’t got the best bus and train services in the world so he’s going to be in great difficulty. Where his income will come from will probably be state benefits, some of the people he worked for were in Langtoft and places like that and he travelled around. It’s going to hit him hard,” Me Vining added.

Presiding Magistrate David Smith said the bench had listened carefully to what had been said but they had no alternative but to disqualify Lovel from driving for a period of 12 months.

Lovel was also fined £200, ordered to pay court costs of £85 and a £15 victim surcharge. He also accepted the offer of the Reform drink driver rehabilitation course which if completed successfully will reduce his overall ban.

CRIMINALS responsible for a series of offences, including theft, burglary and drugs possession, have been brought to justice by police in Driffield over recent weeksn.

A woman was given a fixed penalty ticket in the wake of a shop theft at Tesco’s on George Street.

A police spokeswoman said: “On Thursday October 25, a female in her 30s entered Tesco’s in Driffield, walked around the store placing items in a Tesco basket and also items into her own brown shopping bag.

“She went to tills and paid for items in basket but did not pay for items in the shopping bag.

“The theft was witnessed by a store employee, and she was detained at exit. The items recovered, valued at £45.22.

The offender was dealt with via a fixed penalty ticket for shop theft and made aware that she would be recorded on the police systems for the offence.”

A thief was also nabbed at Rafters, Driffield, on Saturday October 27.

The police spokeswoman said: “An elderly male entered Rafters on Middle Street South and selected items from the open displays.

“He was seen placing items in the pocket of his jacket and other items of lesser value in a shopping basket. He paid for the items in the basket but not the ones concealed in his jacket.

“He was arrested and bailed as there are further enquiries to be made regarding a previous shop theft at the same location by the same male.”

On the evening of Saturday October 27 a teenageer was reprimanded for a cannabis offence.

“A red Peugeot 106 parked in Driffield Cattle Market was approached by officers as a result of a strong smell of Cannabis coming from inside,” said the spokeswoman.

“The 17 year old male passenger was searched and a small bag of green leaf substance, which was later identified as cannabis, was found in his jacket. The male identified the substance and was aware it was an offence to be in possession of it. He received a reprimand for the offence.”

A well-known Driffield business has closed it’s doors for the last time after 13 years of trading in the town.

Photo-arts, formerly Flowers & Frames, on Middle Street closed down last week due to rising business rates leaving the owners out of pocket.

Former owner of the photographic services business, Helen Turton, said that the closure of photo-arts had been on the cards since last Christmas when, despite working 12 hour days, seven days a week, very little profit was made.

Helen 37, of Chestnut Avenue, Driffield said: “Christmas day was the first day I’d had off in weeks and few days after Christmas the bank sent me a text message with the bank balance and I said to my partner, ‘I can’t do this anymore.”

Helen, who took over photo-arts five years ago from her parents Liz and Vince Turton of Garton-on-the-Wolds, has claimed that rising business rates and the arrival of national chains in the town who can sell photo frames very cheaply have left little room for independent businesses in Driffield.

Helen said: “This year I have been paying £507 a month in business rates this has gone up by £100 since last year and I just can’t afford it, for over £500 you don’t even get your bins emptied, you have to pay an extra £220 a month for that,” Helen added.

Helen, who has a degree in English Literature, undertook a 12 week teaching course in the Summer and will start a diploma in January with the aim of fulfilling her ambition of becoming an adult literacy teacher.

Helen said: “It’s something I wanted to do straight after my degree and I never got round to it, that was another reason to close the business, I wanted to do something else before I turned 40.”

Photo-arts will be sorely missed in Driffield and loyal customers have inundated Helen with cards and flowers.

The former owner said: “Thank you to all my loyal customers of the last 13 years.”

Photo-arts has now been sold and Helen hopes that it will open as something new in the new year.

The Turton’s will continue with the framing side of the business from Liz and Vince’s Garton home, Woodford House, under the former name of photo-arts, Flowers & Frames and the passport photo service will now be available in the stationary section of Sokells.

This week QPR boss Mark Hughes has claimed his team will be a renewed side once they get their first Premier League win of the 2012-13 season under their belt.

The London side has failed to win any of their opening ten matches and, as a result, they are currently sitting in a dangerous nineteenth position.

Many fans have been left frustrated after overseeing their team end on the wrong side of narrow results in recent weeks, including a 1-0 loss to Arsenal and a 3-2 loss to West Brom; while QPR made the worst possible start after suffering a heavy 5-0 defeat to Swansea on the opening day of the season.

QPR have made their worst start to a season since the 1968-69 season where they finished in last position but with players like Jose Bosingwa, Junior Hoilett and Ji-Sung Park it is hard to see why the Hoops have failed to make a serious impact on the Premier League.

When assessing why QPR aren’t performing the probable place to start is the transfer market. In the 2012-13 summer transfer window, eleven players were brought into the club; many players were sold as well which left the side dysfunctional. It is no wonder the players have failed to gel when in pre-season training they see a different player leave and another player arrive every other day.

Furthermore, the player’s that have arrived at Loftus Road are top quality, first-team footballers. Although this would seem like a positive thing, its repercussions can have a negative impact on the team. The individuals that QPR have signed are of superb quality but the problem is that the club has not thought about the outcome of signing all of these players. A midfield boasting the prowess of Shaun Wright-Phillips, Samba Diakite, Esteban Granero, Alejandro Faurlin, Adel Taarabt, Ji-Sung Park and Keiron Dyer seems fantastic in principle but Mark Hughes can’t play all of these star players at once. If a player isn’t selected week in, week out, their ego can be left hurt which can lead to discontent and unrest in the dressing room.

QPR’s other main issue is their discipline, or should that be their lack of discipline. With nine red cards, QPR topped the disciplinary table at the end of last season; and after receiving two red cards in ten games they are already joint leaders of the disciplinary table for this campaign. At the end of last season, star midfielder Adel Taarabt cited dismissals as one of the main reasons for QPR’s struggles and admitted that the team would stand a much better chance of getting results if they kept eleven men on the pitch. In the Arsenal v QPR encounter, Samba Diakite was sent off for a rash kick-out at Thomas Vermaelen after he was fouled. This sending off was unnecessary as Diakite had already won a free-kick for Vermaelen’s late challenge, but a moment of madness yet again cost QPR. At the time of Diakite being sent off, the score was level between the two London clubs, however five minutes after the dismissal, Mikel Arteta put Arsenal ahead and the Gunners held on to take all three points. It is impossible to say whether or not QPR would have lost had they kept eleven men on the field but it is fair to assume that they would have given themselves a better chance of taking something from the match had they not lost a player.

However, the overwhelming problem at Loftus Road has to be Mark Hughes. The manager, meant to be the leader of a team, has hardly set the best example after he claimed his team “do not have a disciplinary problem”. The fact Hughes said, “This season we’ve only had two red cards”, is quite worrying because that suggests that Hughes rates one red card in every five matches acceptable. Perhaps Mark Hughes is slightly deluded about his team, but owner Tony Fernandes is hardly any better. Fernandes has happily backed his manager time and time again, claiming the club have nothing to worry about, yet fans are sweating on the future of their team.

This week, Hughes has asked for more time, but, after nearly a third of the season played and no wins, how much more time will Mark Hughes be given before QPR look for a new leader?

The Mayor of Driffield, Councillor Mrs Joan Cooper, will perform the official switch-on ceremony for this year’s Saint Catherine’s Hospice Tree of Lights on Monday December 3.

The ceremony will take place at 6.15pm outside the Buffers Restaurant at the Railway Station.

Jane Richardson Fundraiser said: “Everyone is most welcome to attend the service and the hospice would like to thank all those who have contributed in any way to this Appeal which we hope will raise over £40,000 for patient care”

Mrs Diane Flint, a Trustee of Saint Catherine’s Hospice will lead the service, Reverend Robert Amos will bless the tree and the service of carols and prayers will be accompanied by the East Riding Youth Band.

The Christmas tree, which is decorated with 1000 lights, has been kindly donated by the Lowthorpe Estate.

The names of all those who have been remembered are entered into a Book of Memories, which will be available for viewing on the evening of December 3 and then at the Driffield Hospice shop until January 5. After the service refreshments of coffee and mince pies will be served by The Buffers Restaurant.

To have a light shine on the hospice tree for your loved one, please complete a leaflet available from the Hospice shop or Buffers Restaurant or alternatively phone 01723 378406.

POLICE have praised members of the public who helped to bring a conman to justice.

In August, officers made the public aware through a newspaper article in the Driffield Times and Post, of a dishonest salesman in the Wolds area, selling aerial photographs of farms to the owners.

The salesman approached a farmer at Lowthorpe and presented an aerialview photograph of the farm that was for sale at £39.

A cheque was written for that amount and signed. The cheque was later cashed and the farmer discovered from the bank that the cheque has been altered by the recipient and had been completed to the value of £390.

A police spokeswoman said: “People were advised to report any suspicious visits by salesmen offering to sell areal photographs of homes or farms in our area.

“There was a great response to the article.

“Several people contacted the police to report a salesman offering to sell photographs to them for £39 and asking for a cheque rather than cash. The description of the male and the vehicle he drove were all very similar. The article ultimately lead to the identification and arrest of the male.

“In October, a male in his 30’s, was interviewed for the offence. He fully admitted to fraud by false representation and stated that he understood that he was dishonest and he had no right to change the amount of cheque.

He is now awaiting a court date for the offence to be dealt with.

“Humberside Police would like to say a big thank you to all the people who responded to the article, without your help this male could still be out fraudulently taking money from people’s accounts.

DRIFFIELD town council is to be asked to bankroll the Skate and BMX Park to the tune of £36,000.

Trustees from the seven year old park asked the authority for help because they felt they could no longer continue with their demanding workload.

A working party was established by the council and a report revealed to the authority on Tuesday suggests awarding the park a grant of £12,000 annually for three years.

The report was compiled by councillors Mark Blakeston, Kevin Stack, Matthew Garrard and Phil Stocker.

Staff and users of the skate park attended the council chamber and although several councillors were keen to discuss the report it was decided that a special meeting should be held next Tuesday, November 13.

The report revealed that the town council working party felt strongly that the facility was a real asset to the town and they proposed a three phase action plan.

The first phase – labelled immediate - would be a grant of £12,000 for three years, which would cover wages and costs to employ a manager for 15 hours a week, releasing the trustees from their “phenomenal daily and weekly workload, allowing them to concentrate on fundraising and grant applications.”

Phase two – intermediate – would involve assistance from the council in cost saving or in providing more cost effective services.

Phase three – long term – suggests that there is huge potential to extend youth provision at the skate park.

The report says: “There is plenty of room for an additional structure that could provide the town with much needed youth facilities.

It also suggests the town council could one day perhaps “absorb” the skate park.

“While the Driffield Skate and BMX Park value their independence the trustees acknowledge that in the longer term it may be that another organisation such as ourselves may for the greater good of the park absorb the facility.

“This is not a long term proposal at this stage but merely a future possibility.”

The report concludes: “To agree phase one is hardly speculative. The park is established and successful and perhaps may be even more successful with a manager.”

“The working group are not asking the council to agree to all three stages, but that phase one be considered and resolved either way as soon as possible in order to relieve the considerable workload of the three volunteers and secure the mid-term future of the park.

“Phase two and three can be tentatively investigated over time and brought separately to council in future months and years.”

The Skate park was built and opened in February 2005. The land was bought for £45,000 from the East Riding of Yorkshire Council and has since been valued at £90,000.

From Easter to summer, 2,500 people use the facilities, averaging 250 a week. The park is weather dependent as fund raising for a roof fell short by £35,000.

Since 2002, when the idea of a skate park was first mooted, three women have spearheaded the whole project – Wendy Barker, Pat Harrison and Pam Irvine. Since then they have managed the park themselves – each working 15 hours a week, totalling 7,800 hours since 2002.

Bails of Silage were rendered unusable by thoughtless youths at Hutton, say police.

On the evening of Wednesday October 24 a farmer’s field near Hutton containing bails of silage and grass was entered by trespassing youths. They damaged the plastic coverings of 20 bails, rendering them unusable. While at the location they set off fireworks and left beer bottles behind, littering the field. If you know who is responsible or saw any suspicious activity contact the police and quote crime reference 1937994.

A charity fundraiser at a fish and chip restaurant in Staxton has raised hundreds of pounds for a Multiple Sclerosis charity.

Harpers Fish and Chip restaurant at Staxton raised £450 on behalf of Langtoft man Jon Burch, 32, who is aiming to raise £5000 for the MS Trust by the end of the year.

On October 24 staff at Harpers spent a day handing out raffle tickets to customers whilst 15% of all profits made on the day went to the MS Trust.

A charity meal and quiz also took place in the evening which helped to boost the total.

Jon Burch said: “We raised £450 which was all down to the hard work of the staff at Harpers selling raffle tickets throughout the day and obviously the support from customers and friends that came into the restaurant during the day and supported us for the evening meal.”

So far this year Jon has raised just over £4675 through taking part in and organising a whole host of charity events such as balloon releases, a London to Paris Bike Ride and a 12-hour static bike ride in Scarborough, the Great North Run.

Jon also completed a triathlon for which he learned to swim in just 16 weeks.

The Langtoft man who was inspired to raise cash for the MS Trust by friends who suffer from the disease believes the his fundraising target of £5000 is firmly in sight with more events planned for before Christmas.

Jon said: “We have a couple more fundraising days planned before Christmas so fingers crossed I’ll get well over the £5000 mark.”

Multiple Sclerosis is the most common disease of the central nervous system affecting young adults.

The MS Trust is dedicated to making life better for people living with multiple sclerosis by providing free information to everyone affected by MS and by supporting the health professionals who work with multiple sclerosis

Please help Jon reach his target by visiting www.virginmoneygiving.com/jonburch or contact jdblifestyle@yahoo.co.uk to get details of where to send a cheque.

For more information about the MS Trust visit http://www.mstrust.org.uk/

THE annual Christmas tea for the senior citizens of Driffield and Little Driffield will take place on Saturday December 8.

The event is a unique local custom which stretches back 66 years.

The venue for the event as usual will be the west building of Driffield School on Manorfield Road and festivities will begin at 5pm.

Mr Alan Cousins, of St John’s Road, Driffield, said: “anyone over the age of 70 is welcome.

“In the case of a couple, only one of them needs to qualify.

“Unfortunately, dueto legal constraints, we are unable to invite anyone who is resident on a care home.

“The committee is looking for more Driffield residents who qualify in order to keep our party numbers to around 250.

Names of those who qualify should be given to Mr Cousins by calling 01377 240710 or they can be left at the Driffield Town Council offices on Market Walk.

A service to celebrate the life of Mr Kenneth James Voase, late of Baswick Steer, who died peacefully at Figham House, Beverley, was held in St Mary’s Church, Brandesburton on Friday October 26. He was 92.

The Rev Cannon Chris Simmons officiated, and the organist was Maggie Mossford.

Prior to this, a private funeral service had been held at Octon Crematorium.

The retiring collection was divided between St Mary’s Church and Arthritis Research UK. The following tribute was given by family members:Ken was born in 1920 in the village of North Newbald, the second of four sons to Herbert and Ada who farmed at Red House, three miles out of the village.

His early life was typified by the walk to school every day, through all weathers, sometimes across the fields.

The family moved to High Eske in 1929, Ken then attended St Mary’s School in Beverley, cycling up to Tickton and then catching the bus, often carrying a full can of cream to deliver to a shop in the town on the way.

He left school on his 14th birthday to start work on the farm, where he did all the different jobs on a mixed arable and livestock farm, learning the job from the ground up.

In 1941 the family moved again, this time to Manor Farm, Lissett, but within six months the farm was requisitioned by the Air Ministry for the construction of a bomber base.

As he was in reserved occupation he was unable to join up, although he tried to become a Bevin Boy.

in April 1943 a run down farm at Brandesburton became available to rent, which was when Ken made the move to Baswick Steer. As milk was in short supply during war time he started a small dairy herd and also grew crops on some very wet and dirty land. In 1947 after being joined by his younger brother, John, the Ministry of Agriculture ran a scheme recording milk yields on farms. This is how he met Joan who was working as a milk recorder. They married at Riston Church in 1948. After selling his dairy herd in 1951 he concentrated on arable farming. To improve the farm, drainage became an issue, because of his experience he was asked to sit on the local Internal Drainage Board, serving on the Beverley and North Holderness IDB for many years, nine of these as chairman.

When he moved from Baswick Steer, apart from a few trees around the farmstead, he said there was only one other tree on the farm which was removed when amalgamating fields, since then he had a passion for trees and in the early 1960s planted them in any unoccupied space he could find. Ken, never being a person to do things by half set aside three acres to plant as a wood, which soon became six and is now shown on Ordnance Survey Maps as Ken’s Wood.

Christmas trees were part of the early tree groin and he kindly provided a free one for each of the church, chapel and school for over 30 years.

All through his farming career Ken had been at the forefront of new ideas in agriculture. he was a founder member of both Beverley YFC and Burton Agnes Discussion Group.

Ken never lost his love of interest in country life. The trees that he had planted earlier gave him great satisfaction. In later years he had a great enthusiasm for gardening.

Throughout his life, Ken found time to be a very enthusiastic sportsman, playing football for Leven AFC until he was over 40. Cricket and tennis were his summer sports, he held the position of treasurer in the local cricket, tennis and bowls club for many years. he visited The Club in the Parish Hall, where he played table tennis, snooker and later in his life progressing to dominoes.

Ken lived a remarkable like. he worked hard with ability, determination and foresight. He was generous with his time and affection, an extremely proud father, grandfather and great grandfather.

A truly great man who left a legacy for all to follow.

The family would like, to extend their heartfelt thanks to the District Nurses and the staff of Figham House for all their care and attention over Ken’s period of illness.

Family mourners

Martin & Margo Voase, Alan Voase & Karen Reeson, Heather Voase & Mick Brundenall, Olga Heald, Jackie Voase & Steve Waddy, Nick & Helen Voase, Anna Stevenson (also rep Tom Stevenson), Libby Voase, Ryan Voase & Rachel Davies, Scott Voase, Helice Snowden, Harvey Snowden & Sasha Ruckledge, Thomas, Benji & Edward Voase, Charles Voase, John & Margaret Voase, Jamie & Pam Voase.

Other mourners

Betty & Roger Eeles (also rep Jane Voase), Maureen Voase, Jim Hall, Mrs M Maddox, Mr & Mrs J Rookes, Mr A Chadwick, Sylvia Berry, Mr C Atkinson, Mr & Mrs T Megginson, Mr & Mrs J Deighton, Mr C Atkin, Mr C Buckton, Mr J Wilson, Mr R Charter, Mr J Brown, Mrs D Jackman, Mr A Roe, Mr & Mrs Maxwell, Mr & Mrs M Conner (also rep Mr S Conner), Mr J Byass, Mr & Mrs P Lee, Mr R Lee, Mr D Lee, Mr J Mewburn, Mr & Mrs J butler, Mr B Southwell (also rep Mrs B Southwell), Mr & Mrs D Johnson, Mr & Mrs M Southwell, Mr I White, Mr D Fidling, Mr S Atkinson, Mr R Kirby, Mr T Chappell, Mr T Griffin, Mr D Turner, Mr D Richardson (also rep Mrs D Richardson), Mr & Mrs G Taylor (also rep Mr Harry Taylor), Mr D A Taylor, Mr M Brown, Mrs B Sellars (also Mrs B Richardson & Mr F Richardson), Mr M Atkinson, Mr K Atkinson, Mr & Mrs A Cammish (also rep Lucy Cammish), Mr & Mrs A Duggleby (also rep Mr J Kirkwood & Mrs A Benson), Mr & Mrs C Richardson (also rep Holderness Hunt), Mr David Warnes, Mr R Adams (also rep Mrs R Adams), Mr G Adams, Mr & Mrs L Barnett, Mr B Cook, Mr J Warkup (also rep Mr M Copeland), Mrs P Heald (also rep Mr P Heald), Mr & Mrs M Smith, Mr M Mathison, Mr T Caley, Mr R Shipley, Mr G Isles, Mr M Silversides, Mrs A Copeland (also rep the Copeland family & Mr M Clubley), Mr B Symons (clerk of Beverley & Holderness Internal Drainage Board (also rep Lord Hotham), Mr J Duggleby (Chairman of Beverley & Holderness Internal Drainage Board), Mr C G Kirkwood (also rep Mrs C G Kirkwood), Mr T Etherington, Mrs Thetis Heald, Mr B Atkin, Mr R Hounsfield (also rep Mrs Jean Hounsfield), Mr & Mrs M Deighton, Mr R Deighton, Mr D Shipley, Mr R Crozier, Mr T Elliot (also rep Mr & Mrs S Elliott), Sandra Coates (also rep Jill & Don Robson), Maureen Lonsdale, Jennifer Foster, Mr & Mrs P Atkin, Val Frankish, Mr & Mrs D Jones, Mr & Mrs N Foster (also rep Mr P Foster), Mr & Mrs Tony Reed (also rep Mr M Reed), Mr K Russell, Mr & Mrs J Atkinson, Trish Bullock, Mike Wallis (also rep Sandra Wallis), Mr & Mrs K Wallis, Mr Chris Foster, Sarah Stones (also rep John & William Stones), Mr & Mrs B Etherington, Mr J Fewson (also rep Mrs J Fewson), John Altoft, Mr D Senior (also rep J K Senior & Sons & Jean Senior), Mr & Mrs Nick Dyson (also rep Brandesburton Tennis Club), Mr D Atkinson, Christine Jackson (also rep Marian Smith), Mr D Stead (also rep Sue Stead), Mrs R Rawson (also rep Mr R Rawson), Andrew Beaulah, Helena Anderson (rep Hunsley Beacon Beagles), Steve & Sue Reed, Mrs D White (also rep Mr D White), Murray Todd, Paul Latuis, Paul Arandle, Julia Arksey (also rep Leven Surgery & District Nurses), Jo Harrison.

On July 19 1958, eleven sea cadets and three officers from Lytham Sea Cadet Corps set sail on an exciting and historic journey across England.

Using the canals of Lancashire and Yorkshire, the adventurous group of young sailors travelled from coast to coast on what proved to be an ambitious and testing voyage.

Their vessel was the Training Ship Queenborough and it was from the deck of this hardy little boat that Alf Firby, one of the officers, took a series of photographs of what we now know were the dying days of a vanished era.

In the 1950s, Britain’s waterways were still full of commercial traffic and many were lined with the mills, factories and ports of what was then a leading industrial nation.

As they journeyed from the Ribble Estuary, via the Leeds & Liverpool Canal and the Aire & Calder Navigation to the Humber Estuary, the cadets saw regular merchant shipping on the Humber, coal barges and the dying throes of other commercial traffic on Britain’s dangerously tired and neglected canals.

But they also glimpsed the occasional ‘pleasure boat,’ little realising that such craft and their owners would be the salvation and resurrection of Britain’s waterways.

This amazing pictorial adventure has been reproduced by Andrew Hemmings and David Swidenbank in their fascinating book which is based on the original photographs, documents and interviews as well as their own replica journey across the same canals.

By combining photographs from the 1950s with stunning modern-day images, they show how canal life and the landscape of towns and cities along the way have changed over the last 50 years.

The 1958 crew began their journey across the tides of the Ribble Estuary, up the River Douglas to the Rufford branch of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal.

From this semi-derelict waterway they joined the main line of the Leeds & Liverpool at Burscough Bridge, then headed east and north through the manufacturing towns of Wigan, Blackburn and Burnley, experiencing the Wigan flight of locks, Gannow Tunnel, the Burnley Embankment and Foulridge Tunnel before crossing the Pennines into Yorkshire.

It was here they faced the challenge of Bingley Five Rise Locks before the village of Saltaire and the industrial landscape of Leeds. They then joined the Aire & Calder Navigation through Castleford and Knottingley to Goole Docks where they were met by members of Hull Sea Cadet Corps who escorted them through the tricky waters of the Humber Estuary to Kingston upon Hull.

The photographs taken along the way, including TS Queenborough at Tarleton Locks and children playing near the lock-keeper’s cottage, coal barges piled high at Wigan and overgrown embankments near Burnley, portray a country on the cusp of change.

From Lancashire to Yorkshire by Canal is a voyage of discovery, a wonderful reflection on the transformation of the landscape of the north of England and an evocative and nostalgic trip into a bygone age.

(Amberley, paperback, £14.99)

Williamsons Solicitors’ crime department has achieved the highest ranking in Hull and East Yorkshire in the country’s leading legal guide.

The Chambers 2013 guide, released last week, not only says that Williamsons ‘dominates’ the practice area in the region, but singled out director and department head Bill Waddington for special mention. Williamsons, which has an office in Driffield, focus on the high quality training it gives to young lawyers was also cited as a factor in the level 2 ranking.

‘The fleeting hour of life of those who love the hills is quickly spent, but the hills are eternal,’ said legendary Lakes fell walker Alfred Wainwright.

Twenty-one years after he died, Wainwright’s Pictorial Guides are still recognised as the definitive reference to walking the Lake District fells.

His seven volumes of illustrated guides, first published between 1955 and 1966, have inspired generations of walkers to take to the Lakeland hills and now Julia Bradbury, fresh from her BBC series Wainwright Walks, brings us ten of the great man’s best walks.

Whether you are a first-time fell walker or a Lake District diehard, Bradbury’s beautifully produced and illustrated companion book to the series will have you reaching for your boots and back-pack.

Following in Wainwright’s footsteps, these classic routes take us from Scafell Pike, England’s highest mountain and the ultimate Lakes challenge, to some of its most tranquil spots and the top of Haystacks, final resting place of the fell walker extraordinaire.

Also included in these scenic walks is beautiful Blencathra which, at 2,847 feet, is firmly in the big league of English hills and was one of Wainwright’s own best-loved fells. His guide devoted a staggering 36 pages to this fell near Keswick in the north of the Lakes.

Catbells, unforgettably described by Wainwright as ‘bold’ with ‘a come hither look,’ is amongst the ten walks along with the dramatic High Street, which has an old Roman road running across its summit ridge, Castle Crag, one of the most accessible walks, Helvellyn with its famous Striding Edge gap, the long walk over Crinkle Crags and Bowfell, and Pillar, the remote ‘overlord of the western scene.’

The walks are illustrated with Wainwright’s drawings, some breathtaking aerial sequences, dramatic images from the TV series and evocative landscape photographs taken by Derry Brabbs.

There are clear directions and Julia’s commentary on her experience of the walks as well as some very welcome tips on where to head for a well-earned tipple after completing each walk.

(Frances Lincoln, paperback, £14.99)