Do you love the taste of Red Lemonade, launch into ‘The Fields of Athenry’ at the drop of a hat or find yourself admiring ‘the grand stretch in the evenings’?

If you do, then this book, jammed with hilarious reflections on what it is to be Irish, will have you nodding in agreement with every turn of the page! And if you don’t have a clue what any of the above is about, then it could be time to put your hand in the pόca, fork out the spondulicks and try to fit in, for Jaysus’ sake!

From the authors of the smash hit Stuff Irish People Love and all 14 books in the side-splitting Feckin’ series comes another entertaining and self-deprecating guide to the unique passions of the ‘Paddies.’

Between the pages of this unique little book are approximately 100 things that Irish people like, such as waving hello to complete strangers on country roads, using the ‘cupla focal’ to stress their Irishness when on holidays, going for a few pints after mass, claiming a relative who fought in the Easter Rising, explaining hurling to foreigners and nicknaming statues (for example ‘The Floozie in the Jacuzzi’).

Do you like taking the ‘makings of a fry’ on holidays, can you recognise your mother’s twenty-seventh cousin, twice removed and do you love boasting about Ireland’s literary geniuses, but have never read one?

Is the red man at a pedestrian crossing a challenge rather than caution, do you think there’s nothing peculiar about moving statues, do you eat potatoes with every meal, change into your swimming togs under a towel on the beach, worship Ray Houghton, the legend, and constantly say ‘Know what I mean like?’

More Stuff Irish People Love will have you nodding agreement at the turn of every page (if you’re Irish) and for all foreign readers, it will explain a lot about the Irish!

From its quirky holographic cover to its essential insights into all that the Irish hold dear, and from innocent traditions and mildly eccentric peculiarities to stuff that’s just downright daft, this is the perfect Christmas gift for Irish folk wherever they live.

However, be warned ... reading this book may give you a craving for a salad cream sandwich or cause you to moan about Peig.

(O’Brien, paperback, £8.99)

AGE UK East Riding is launching its annual Caring Christmas appeal.

The Beverley-based charity is urging people throughout the East Riding to get involved by donating a shoebox-size Christmas hamper. The hampers will then be distributed just before Christmas to isolated and vulnerable people in the region.

Last year, residents of the East Riding donated several hundred hampers, which were distributed by Age UK staff, volunteers and community groups.

The shoeboxes should be filled with items such as tins of soup, fish or fruit, tea, coffee, biscuits and a luxury item. Food items must have a sell-by date of February 2013 or later. Donors can also include a Christmas card with a festive greeting.

The box and lid should be wrapped separately with Christmas paper, or left unwrapped with a piece of wrapping paper enclosed. The boxes should be delivered to the Age UK East Riding office at 16 North Bar Within, Beverley before Friday December 7, or may be taken to Age UK shops in the local area.

He might be deployed on the edge of empire but wily Roman centurion Marcus Aquila is always at the heart of the action... and the intrigue.

The Wolf’s Gold is Anthony Riches’ fifth novel in the outstanding Empire series and it’s pleasing to report that his stories of thrill-filled, heart-pounding heroics in the reign of the notorious emperor Commodus just get better and better.

Authenticity and mind-blowing battle sequences have always been Riches’ strong points and now he can add masterful storytelling and plotting to his list of attributes.

His thumping good novels are rich in dialogue, characterisation, military realism and the kind of black humour that brings to life the hardy warriors who formed the fighting backbone of the Roman Empire.

Here he transports his battle-hardened hero Aquila, a patrician with a secret past, from campaigns in the wilds of ancient Germania to lawless Dacia (modern day Romania) where the mines of Alburnus Major hold enough gold to pave the road to Rome.

Centurion Marcus Corvus of the 1st Tungrian cohort is an inspirational officer. Known as ‘Two Knives,’ he is the kind of leader that any man would follow into danger without needing an order.

But Marcus is on the run from the Rome of capricious Emperor Commodus who has executed the young officer’s high-ranking father and family, declaring them all traitors.

Marcus and the Tungrians have been sent to Dacia, on the north-eastern edge of the Roman Empire, with the mission to safeguard the gold mines, a major source of imperial power.

The mines would make a mighty prize for the marauding Sarmatae tribesmen who threaten the province, and the outnumbered auxiliaries are entrusted with their safety in the face of a barbarian invasion.

Beset by both the Sarmatian horde and more subtle threats offered by men who should be their comrades, the Tungrians must also come to terms with the danger posed by a new and unexpected enemy. They will have to fight to the death to save the honour of the empire – and their own skins.

Riches gets as near as is possible to the life of the Roman soldier... his world-weary wit, his ruthlessness, his earthiness, his fighting spirit, his prejudice and his shared camaraderie.

Throughout this exciting series, we have come to know the trusty band of brothers who make up the Tungrians and watched their characters and relationships develop as they face hardship, danger and death.

Thrilling plotlines have taken them to the empire’s most dangerous corners and their adventures and misadventures are always recounted at breakneck speed whilst still retaining meticulous attention to detail.

The Wolf’s Gold is a first-class action novel, brimming with brutal combat and suspense, and yet threaded through with a subtle brand of melancholy and evocations of the power politics that made Rome tick.

A must-read for historical fiction fans...

(Hodder & Stoughton, hardback, £14.99)

Graffiti has been around for hundreds of years - and author Peter Godfrey can prove it.

He has produced a booklet called “A pictorial record of stonemasons marks and others found in the churches of East Yorkshire.”

Mr Godfrey spent more than a year visiting 152 churches - many of them in the Driffield area - before carefully recording the marks he discovered etched into brickwork and often dating back to the 1600 and 1700s.

Mr Godfrey’s “labour of love” has provided what is thought to be a unique record of such marks, which take many forms from simple outlines to complicated sundials.

Mr Godfrey said: “In the Spring of 2011 I set out to record as many stonemasons’ marks as I could find in the stone churches of East Yorkshire.

“I have made every effort to record the marks as faithfully as possible, generally with my own freehand sketches, but also by photographs.”

Mr Godfrey said that the marks broadly fell into three categories - stonemasons’ marks, carved sundials and graffiti.

Mr Godfrey said: “Stonemasons marks are generally of simple geometric patterns, such as arrows and crosses.

“Some represent individual masons and some are the marks of the quarries from which the stone was obtained or part dressed.

“Carved sundials appear on the south walls of many of the older churches, “ said Mr Godfrey, 69, , who is retired after a career in the architect industry.

“They are generally known as mass dials, since they were used for the timing of the services. A wood rod or gnomon was placed in the central hole and the time was measured accordingly.”

The third category, graffiti shows in many ways - from the initials of individuals to elaborate drawings. Mr Godfrey, of Hull, has included a collection of the more interesting examples in his booklet, which is available to buy from selected churches and from Sokells.

Pop hunk and reality TV legend Peter Andre is at the Scarborough Futurist on Thursday November 27 at 7.30pm.

The Oz-meister is bringing his Up Close and Personal Tour to the seafront venue and will be singing numbers from his latest album Angels and Demons – as well as his hits including Mysterious Girl and Behind Closed Doors.

Final tickets for the show are now being released. Telephone the Futurist box office on 01723 365789.

Pop hunk and reality TV legend Peter Andre is at the Scarborough Futurist on Thursday November 27 at 7.30pm.

The Oz-meister is bringing his Up Close and Personal Tour to the seafront venue and will be singing numbers from his latest album Angels and Demons – as well as his hits including Mysterious Girl and Behind Closed Doors.

Final tickets for the show are now being released. Telephone the Futurist box office on 01723 365789.

Put away the Xbox, switch off the telly and discover the true spirit of Christmas in the sparkling selection of book from Scholastic this year.

Our kids have never had it so good... from birth to teen years, there are books here to enchant, entertain and instruct. What a gift for parents as they track down the perfect presents this year!

Take a look at what’s in store:

Age six months plus:

Fancy Dress Christmas by Nick Sharratt

Get babies in a flap this Christmas with a cracker of a book that combines all those toddler favourites – peek-a-boo pages to turn, bouncy rhyming text and lots of animal noises to join in with. There’s a fancy dress Christmas party, and everyone’s in their best costumes. Children will love lifting the flaps to discover which animals are hiding behind the disguises. Mouse has come as a candle, Cat’s an angel, but who has come as a Christmas tree? Is it Owl? Fun on every page!

(Scholastic, hardback, £10.99)

Age 3 plus:

Superworm by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler

Meet Superworm... a super-long, super-strong superhero! From the very inventive inventors of The Gruffalo comes a new and adorable character guaranteed to wriggle his way into our hearts. See him wind up for action and enjoy watching him squeeze in and out of all kinds of tight spots because there’s no other worm like Superworm. Yes, never fear, Superworm’s here and his adventures will leave little ones squealing and squirming for more. The truly imaginative ways a worm can become a multi-tasking superhero ensure Superworm’s destiny as a classic picture book hero whose escapades will be read time and time again.

(Alison Green Books, hardback, £10.99)

My Fairy Christmas Play Book by Dawn Apperley

If there’s a little ‘princess’ in your house who would like to help the Snow Fairies get ready for their Christmas party, then this Christmas play book will have them squealing with delight! There’s lots to do including decorate the tree, choose a party dress and make the recipes and the paper chains. And when that’s done, they can put on their own Snow Fairy tiara and bracelet and join in the fun. With flaps to lift, tabs to pull, things to make and a stand-up play scene with stickers, this interactive novelty book will keep little girls entertained for hours.

(Scholastic, hardback, £9.99)

The Highway Rat by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler

‘Give me your buns and your biscuits! Give me your chocolate éclairs! For I am the Rat of the highway, and the Rat Thief never shares!’ From the superstar creators of The Gruffalo comes a rollicking read-aloud rhyming story inspired by a famous Alfred Noyes poem. Accompanied by Scheffler’s big, bold and humorous illustrations, The Highway Rat’s daredevil adventures are set to become a bedtime favourite. Hours of fun for children aged three to six.

(Alison Green Books, paperback, £6.99)

Age 6 plus:

Willow Valley: One Snowy Day by Tracey Corderoy

The beautifully crafted Willow Valley series is proving a big hit with early readers and it’s easy to see why! Heart-warming stories, lively characters and enchanting illustrations make this an all-round winner. Four friends – Riley and Mimi-Rose the mice, Horatio the hedgehog and Starla the Badger – all live in Willow Valley, a place of fun, adventure and lots of ginger cake. Now winter has arrived, it’s nearly Christmas and Riley and his friends are very excited because it’s started snowing. Snowball fights, sledging and all sorts of fun beckon as the pretty white flakes float down to create a magic winter wonderland. All youngsters will want to live in Willow Valley!

(Scholastic, paperback, £5.99)

Awesomely Brilliant Christmas Doodles by Nikalas Catlow and Tim Wesson

At last, a book that takes the pain out of Christmas for busy parents! Christmas boredom will be beaten into submission by this hilarious doodle book which is packed with colouring, doodling and puzzling madness. Elf-doku puzzles, silly spot-the-differences and daring drawing challenges will have youngsters doodling well into the New Year!

(Scholastic, paperback, £4.99)

Perfectly Pretty: Christmas Activity Book

Samantha Meredith and Catriona Clarke

And how about a super cute illustrated festive gift full of puzzles and doodles? Little girls everywhere can celebrate the arrival of Christmas with this beautifully drawn activity book. They can decorate the perfect stocking, design a snow globe, draw a fairy on top of the Christmas tree and much, much more. Over 60 colour stickers will keep them glued to the fun for hours!

(Scholastic, paperback, £4.99)

Age 7 Plus:

Captain Underpants: The Terrifying Return of Tippy Tinkletrousers by Dav Pilkey

Need a zany, funny, outrageous story to stop your young readers getting bored? Look no further because Captain Underpants is back in an all-new epic adventure that’s one of his best yet! When we last saw our heroes, George and Harold, they were under arrest and headed for prison. Then Harold foolishly uttered the fateful words ‘What could be worse than going to jail for the rest of our lives?’ and changed the course of human history. In this ninth epic novel, Pilkey takes readers back in time to the carefree days of kindergarten, when the worst thing George and Harold had to face was not evil mad scientists or alien cafeteria ladies but a bully named Kipper Krupp, the nephew of their clueless school principal. And because George and Harold don’t actually invent Captain Underpants until fourth grade, the two clever kids are on their own and using their brains to beat the bully. Action, pranks and wall-to-wall laughter makes this essential reading for fun-loving boys and girls.

(Scholastic, hardback, £9.99)

Age 8 plus:

Horrible Histories Annual 2013 by Terry Deary and Martin Brown

To mark the 20th awesome and awful anniversary of Horrible Histories, here’s a book full of madcap moments and foul facts from days gone by. A new year is on the horizon and there’s plenty of new nasty bits to be enjoyed! Packed with foul facts, gory games, dreadful jokes and putrid puzzles, plus content from Horrible Histories TV, this is every child’s chance to pep up 2013 with jokes, grot and grime from history’s yuckiest moments. A must-have for all Horrible Histories fans, it’s the annual with rat-itude and guaranteed to make you go wow, aargh and yuk!

(Scholastic, hardback, £7.99)

Horrible Science: House of Horrors by Nick Arnold and Tony De Saulles

If your youngsters can stomach the sick side of science (and there are many kids who can’t!), then here it is in all its revolting glory! This really is science with the squishy bits left in. Get up close to fleas, dust mites and mind-boggling microbes. Horrible Science takes a look under the microscope to see what tiny horrors lurk in every house. Even the cleanest of neat freaks will be running for cover when they discover what they’ll never be able to get out of the carpet. House of Horrors dishes the dirt on the secret life of dust mites and parasitic pet poo, lifting the roof on the disgusting details of domestic life as only Horrible Science can. And beware of the cover which features a pouch of squishy realistic-looking maggots, just a taste of things to come!

(Scholastic, hardback, £12.99)

How to Change the World with a Ball of String by Tim Cooke

And now for something completely different! A unique and imaginative take on history that will have children looking at the world in a whole new way. By using examples from the past, Tim Cooke uses brilliant illustrations and an easy-to-understand and entertaining narrative to show how you can start your own empire, conquer your neighbours or even stage your own industrial revolution! This fascinating approach to history will mean that children never look at yesterday in the same way again!

(Scholastic, paperback, £9.99)

Age 9 plus:

Tom Gates: Genius Ideas (mostly) by Liz Pichon

Liz Pichon’s hilarious, illustrated adventure book is the perfect incentive for boys who are reluctant readers. A cross between a comic and a novel, it’s easy to read and will give hours of fun and more than a few chuckles. Seeing Delia without her sunglasses on is a BIG shock for Tom, but that’s nothing compared with the surprise that Dad has in store with his new-found fitness regime. He says he’s going to compete at the school Sports Day. Can you even imagine the horrendous shame that will bring? Meanwhile Tom, Derek and Norman are also busy with a training regime of their own –practising with Dogzombies to make sure they’re ready for the school talent show. The highs and lows of Tom’s life are funnier and more extreme than ever in this fourth wickedly witty diary from an award-winning series.

(Scholastic, paperback, £6.99)

Age 12 plus:

Witch Crag by Kate Cann

Kita lives in a post-apocalyptic world which has turned to nature since the Great Havoc laid waste to technology and science. In a tribe where basic survival is the only priority, she must make a choice to accept arranged marriages and being treated with less value than sheep, or escape and journey to the place that even the strongest men fear with their lives – Witch Crag. Kita chooses to flee to the crag but a common threat is facing the sheepmen and the witches who live there. Now the time has come for the tribes to somehow overcome their prejudices and join together if they are to win a war that threatens to destroy everything they hold dear. Cann’s clever, compelling stand-alone novel is a brilliant, teenage mix of dystopian futures, suspense, thrills and understated romance.

(Scholastic, paperback, £6.99)

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Stiefvater exploded onto the literary scene with her powerful Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy and now she’s back with another thrilling and emotionally fiery novel that goes straight to the heart of teen readers. ‘There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St Mark’s Eve,’ Neeve said. ‘Either you’re his true love... or you killed him.’ Part of a clairvoyant family, Blue has spent her 16 years being told that if she kisses her true love, he will die. So when she meets Gansey’s spirit on the corpse road, Blue knows that either he is her true love, or she has killed him. The boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her. Gansey is a student at Aglionby, a wealthy local private school. With three other mysterious and privileged boys, he is on a quest to find Glendower, a lost, ancient Welsh king buried somewhere on a Virginia ley line. Whoever finds him will be granted a supernatural favour. Never before has Blue felt such magic around her. But is Gansey really her true love, the one she is destined to kill? Blue never fully believed in the prophecy but as she is caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure any more. Multi-layered, subtle and full of angst, The Raven Boys truly has the wow factor!

(Scholastic, paperback, £7.99)

A MAN sustained serious injuries following a three vehicle road smash on the B1249, three miles south of Langtoft.

A 19 year old girl was also airlifted to hospital in the wake of the incident at around 9.55am on Tuesday.

Police said that a black Mini Cooper S, a grey VW Golf and a Fiat Ducato van were involved.

The driver of the Mini Cooper, a 20 year old man from Nottingham, was taken to Hull Royal Infirmary with serious injuries.

He remained in hospital as the Driffield Times and Post went to press.

A 19 year old girl, who was a passenger in the Mini Cooper was airlifted to James Cook hospital in Middlesbrough.

She was treated for what were believed to be non life threatening injuries.

The driver of the VW Golf, a 40 year old man from Tibthorpe, was not injured.

The driver of the Ducato van, a 33-year-old man from Ravenscar, was also not injured.

Police closed the road at the roundabout at Langtoft for several hours and diverted traffic towards Kilham.

Anyone who may have witnessed the collision is asked to call Humberside Police tel 101 quoting log 160 of 27 November 2012.

‘Oh horrors. Germany has invaded Poland. Now for hell let loose!’

At the outbreak of the Second World War, May Smith, 24, lived with her parents in Swadlincote, a small village near Derby, and taught at the local school.

She was an ordinary young woman living through extraordinary times and like many of those who experienced life on the Home Front, she recorded those six eventful, and often monotonously mundane, years in her diary.

Inevitably, the war brought changes, many of them captured for posterity in May’s entertaining and acerbic diaries. She was intelligent, clear-eyed and down-to-earth, and her moving and darkly funny diaries provide a compelling and authentic snapshot of life as it was really lived.

Evacuees arrived in the village, nights were broken by the wail of the siren as bombers flew overhead, the young men of May’s circle donned khaki and disappeared to far-flung places to ‘do their bit’ but, like many other Britons, May and her family took it all in their stride.

‘Auntie F came in announcing dramatically that Hitler is coming tomorrow, at which my father remarked that He Would, now that he’s Just Finished Papering Upstairs,’ May noted with some hilarity (and the use of capitals!).

A zealous rumour factory worked overtime but through it all, May still enjoyed tennis parties, holidays to Llandudno and going shopping for new outfits (coupons and funds permitting) and it was during these difficult time that May fell in love.

But however dull life might have seemed, every day brought reminders that Britain was at war. Rationing, the blackout (‘am getting quite used to lurching about in darkness now’ wrote May at the end of 1939), shortages, privations, restrictions and regulations – as well as destruction, loss, injury and death – all impacted on the civilian population.

May’s diaries highlight the anxiety, fear and, above all, the exhaustion of a long war that ground everyone down. Swadlincote received hundreds of evacuees from inner city Birmingham and these children had to be fitted into already overcrowded schools. In May 1944, May rejoices that she ‘only’ has 40 children in her class for once.

Inevitably, May looked forward to holidays, frequently cut short because ‘inessential’ travel was discouraged, and to pay day as her fondness for shoes, clothes and books often left her in debt to her family. ‘Only 4d to live on for the rest of the month,’ was a frequent refrain.

But May’s war was not just a chronicle of food eaten, clothes bought and altered, hair permed and frizzed and weather reports. She also listened to Churchill’s speeches on the radio and found them uplifting and inspiring, and worried about the course of the war.

Wartime life was a strange mix of dreadful events, freezing winters, anxiety, bereavement, chilblains, cold rooms, borrowed wedding dresses and what May called ‘Stygian gloom.’

May and her parents were typical of the average British family in wartime ... stoic, ever ready to dilute the exceptionalism of war, good at improvisation and determined to achieve victory whatever the cost.

Her observant, witty diaries are a joy to read and a hilarious yet heart-breaking account of life on the Home Front, a battleground where, Churchill recognised, a war can be won or lost.

(Virago, hardback, £14.99)

AFTER being a part of the town for over a century, the Driffield Branch of the Mother’s Union is set to close next week.

Members have spoken of their sadness following the decision to close the Driffield branch of “one of the finest women’s organisations in the world” following difficulties in appointing three new officers.

Wednesday December 12 will see the Driffield Branch of the Mother’s Union meet for the last time.

But it is hoped that the closure of the group will only be temporary if younger members of the community step up to take key roles.

Margaret Trow, 77, of St Stephens Close, Driffield has been a member of the Driffield Branch of the Mother’s Union for 20 years and said it is due dwindling numbers and the age of members that the branch has made the decision to close.

Mrs Trow said: “Sadly we have been unable to appoint three new officers due to the age and lack of members.

“It is very sad but if you can’t find officers who are lively enough to carry out the role you can’t carry on so we had to make this sad decision, at least for the time being.”

The Driffield Branch of the Mother’s Union currently has 25 members, some of whom have been a part of the organisation for 60 years, who meet monthly at All Saints Parish Church.

“We have a viable amount of members to keep running but a lot of us are too old or infirm to organise events and a lot of people find it difficult to sort out transport.

“Some people from church have shown an interest but they would only be able to make evening meetings - if we got enough interest in the future then that could be the way forward,” Margaret added.

The Mother’s Union is a Christian organisation with 3.6 million members worldwide with the aim of helping families in need. A large part of the Mother’s Union’s work involves helping women from poverty-stricken areas of the Far East, Africa and Asia to start up their own businesses in order to provide a better future for their families.

The Driffield branch of the Mother’s Union have been supporting women in Milawi.

“Part of the work we do is supporting women in poverty stricken areas who are struggling to raise a family. Our fundraising goes towatds helping these women start a business and The Mother’s Union provide education about how to run the businesses and recently a lot of these women have been making a profit,” Margaret said.

Margaret added: “The Mother’s Union is one of the finest women’s organisations in the world - we are primarily a group based around prayer but we have loads of fun with it and their is a very strong social side.

“I have always enjoyed being a member and there is going to be a gap there.”

Despite it’s name the Mother’s Union is now open to both men and women of any age and many of the Driffield members, including Margaret, will go onto become Diocesan members of the organisation meaning they can enjoy fun and fellowship at meetings of other branches across the country.

The Mother’s Union will meet for one final service on Wednesday December 12 at All Saints’ Church, Driffield.

Margaret told the Times & Post that the service will not be a sad occasion but a look back at the Driffield Branch of the Mother’s Union in the hope that it will re-start in the future.

“It will be a celebration of what has gone and what could hopefully happen in the future,” Margaret said,

The service will start at 2pm and will be led by the Rev. Andrew Ison and Diocesan Chaplain, Rev. Jeremy Fletcher.

A spokesperson for the Driffield Branch of the Mother’s Union said: “Everyone, whether members, ex-members, or members and friends from the Deanery will be very welcome to join us as we worship and pray together.

“We will give thanks for the past and look forward with renewed hope to the future.”

The Rev. Andrew Ison also spoke of his sadness at the closure of the Mother’s Union but echoed the resounding hope of the members that it marks a new chapter for church.

Andrew said: “It is a sad occasion but it’s also an occasion of celebration of all the good work the Mother’s Union has done over the years and a reflection on the way in which our society is changing.

“I often think that it is not until one thing comes to an end that something else begins so we will be doing what the Mother’s Union do best - have a good celebration.”

For more information about the Mother’s Union and their campaigns visit their website at http://www.themothersunion.org/

WITH just weeks to go before Christmas, the Friends of Longcroft School are offering an opportunity to get prepared well ahead of the festive season.

On Monday December 10, the group will be hosting a special ‘prepare for Christmas’ event at Longcroft Upper School. They are inviting everyone to go along not just to explore some perfect gift ideas, but also to learn how to wrap them in an extra special way.

Cath Bunn, chair of FOLS, explained; “Alongside a wide range of stalls with inspirations for present and gift ideas, there will be demonstrations from Lynda Mills of Wrapped in Style, who will teach you how to wow your friends and family with some inspirational present wrapping skills. It’s the perfect opportunity to find out how to make the most wonderful of gifts that extra bit special.”

Alongside gift stalls, there will also be crafts, Christmas cards, festive treats, and demonstrations of cosmetics and skincare.

The event runs from 6.45 to 9pm and admission costs £2.

For more information, contact Cath Bunn on fols@longcroft.eriding.net or check FOLS on Facebook.

A FATHER who became abusive towards his ex-partner during a night out in Driffield has ended up in court after breaching an order banning him from harassing her.

Ryan Edwards, 25, of Swiss Cottages, Beverley Road, Driffield was made the subject of a non-molestation order at the county court in Hull on October 29 in relation to his ex-partner Annabel Louise Park.

But less than a week later, on November 3, Edwards harassed Miss Park at several pubs in Driffield’s town centre during a night out.

Edwards pleaded guilty to breaching the non-molestation order when he appeared before magistrates in Bridlington last Wednesday.

Prosecutor Jayne Wilson told the court that Edwards and Miss Park had been in a relationship for three and a half years but it ended at the end of September. The couple have a five month old baby together.

Ms Wilson said the order was taken out because Edwards had been violent and aggressive towards Miss Park.

The court heard that Miss Park and a friend went to the Original Keys, on Market Walk but left straight away through the back door when she saw Edwards inside the pub.

She went to the Star Inn, near Market Walk but was followed by Edwards show started shouting abuse towards her and became threatening, Ms Wilson told the court.

A short time later Miss Park went to Georgies Bar, on Market Walk when she encountered Edwards again who started pointing his finger in her face.

“She then took refuge inside the Original Keys pub. He followed her and was shouting and getting aggressive towards her. By now she was upset,” Ms Wilson said.

Security staff at the Original Keys removed Edwards from the pub.

In mitigation Mike Farr said: “It wasn’t pre-meditated. He hadn’t gone to the address or intended to see her. But there had been a chance meeting in Driffield Town Centre.”

“It’s unfortunately a small confined area and people tend to move from one public house to another during the evening and it was inevitable he was going to keep bumping into her,” Mr Farr added.

Mr Farr told the court that Edwards had found it difficult since the relationship ended as he had had little contact with his baby daughter.

The case was adjourned for the probation service to prepare pre-sentence reports.

Edwards is due to re-appear before magistrates for sentencing on December 12. In the meantime he has bail on the conditions that he does not go within 40 metres of an address given in court, does not contact in any way prosecution witnesses, and does not enter two named areas of Scarborough Road.

A SELF-EMPLOYED builder got into a pursuit with police after he drove into the path of an oncoming patrol car while overtaking on a main road near Bridlington.

When Christopher Timiney, 24, of Carnaby moved onto the opposite side of the A165 to overtake a vehicle little did he know that he would be heading straight into the path of an oncoming marked police car.

When the police car flashed at Timiney, who was driving a Ford Fiesta, he turned on his main beam headlights in retaliation, the court heard.

Prosecutor Jayne Wilson told the court that the officers switched on their blue lights and followed Timiney, who speeded up “considerably”, exceeding the speed limit and overtaking another vehicle on the approach to a roundabout at Carnaby.

Timiney pleaded guilty to driving a vehicle on a road without due care and attention when he was brought before Bridlington Magistrates Court last Wednesday.

The incident happened at around 9.25pm on November 3 this year.

In mitigation Mike Farr said: “Having had time to reflect and consider his driving he accepts his driving was careless.”

Mr Farr told the court that Timiney had been into Bridlington in his mother’s car to price up a job and was in a hurry to get back to Carnaby.

“He had come out of a 30mph limit and was into a 40mph limit and the car in front of him was driving below the 40mph limit and impulsively he manoeuvred past the car. Unfortunately the car coming towards him was a police vehicle,” Mr Farr said.

“There was no chance of a collision, he’s not charged with dangerous driving, but the officers thought it was driving without due care and attention and Mr Timiney accepts that,” he added.

Timiney was fined £200 and given six penalty points on his driving licence. He was also ordered to pay court costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £20.

The 25th Anniversary year of St Catherine’s Hospice Driffield Support Group got off to a good start last week with ‘an evening of puddings’.

Pauline Turner from the support group said: “The ladies of the “Eatmore Pudding Club” provided five delicious puddings to be tasted by the appreciative audience.

“Then a vote was taken to determine the best pudding of the night, the winner being the lemon ice cream in a brandy snap basket, which was scrumptious.

“The Masonic Hall was bursting at the seams with all the people who had come along to enjoy this event and the Driffield Support Group would like to say a big thank you to everyone for their support and for their help in raising approximately £800 for St Catherine’s Hospice Scarborough, on that night.”

Why would an Irishman enlist in the Second World War when his country had declared its neutrality?

Raymond Wall, from Loughrea in County Galway, was just 21 when war broke out in 1939. Within days, he had joined the Local Security Force and shortly after he travelled north of the border to enlist.

He would end the war as a leading aircraftman amongst the ground crew of No 90 Squadron RAF at Tuddenham in Suffolk where his tasks included the dangerous job of loading 1,000lb bombs onto aeroplanes.

So what made Wall, who ended up settling in Dublin after the war, leave behind his family and make the trip to England to become a member of RAF Bomber Command?

‘Those were different times then,’ he later told his son. ‘They were dark times. There was an insidious evil rampaging across Europe, and decent men were needed to stop it.’

Over 130,000 Irishmen and women served during the Second World War and 7,500 of them never returned. Many more – estimates put the number at 634,000 – Irish people emigrated to Britain during the war or in the immediate post-war years to work in munitions or in other war-related industries like construction and nursing.

Neil Richardson, author of the much-praised A Coward if I Return, A Hero if I Fall, Stories of Irishmen in World War I, turns his attention here to the bravery of the Irish service heroes whose idealism and knowledge that Nazism was a threat that must be stopped led them to join the Allied forces.

Illustrated with over 150 photographs and memorabilia, Dark Times, Decent Men gathers dramatic first-hand stories from Irishmen who went to war, including those who fought at Dunkirk, North Africa and on the D-Day beaches, the RAF fighter aces and the sailors who served in U-boat-infested seas.

Richardson discovers Irish Jews who fought to defeat the Nazis and the Final Solution, Irishmen who served alongside Easy Company of the US 101st Airborne Division, immortalised in Stephen Ambrose’s Band of Brothers, and those who joined the United States Marine Corps.

Many of these servicemen endured the horrors of prisoner-of-war camps, some witnessed the Nagasaki atomic bomb and eight Irishmen won the Victoria Cross, Britain and the Commonwealth’s highest award for valour in the face of the enemy.

The last battle against a foreign invader on mainland British soil was fought by the 1st London Irish Rifles against the crew of a downed German Junkers bomber on September 27 1940 in Kent in an event that became known as the Battle of Graveney Marsh.

Through first-hand accounts and personal recollections, Richardson tells these Irishmen’s stories, many for the first time. There are tales of those who did not return, and those who did and for whom it was far from a hero’s welcome.

Paying tribute to these service people, Winston Churchill said: ‘When I think of ...Irish heroes...I can only pray that in years which I shall not see, the shame will be forgotten and the glories will endure.’

And thanks to the efforts of Richardson, the sacrifices of these ‘decent men’ live on...

(O’Brien, paperback, £17.99)

A FATHER ended up with a metal post impaled in his leg after he crashed a car while rushing to Bridlington to see his daughter because he suspected she had meningitis, a court has heard.

In the early hours of April 27, Russell Thomas McKalroy, 35, of Eastfield Road, Driffield crashed a white Kia car into street furniture at a roundabout on the A164 at Nafferton - causing a metal post to penetrate his leg.

He was taken to Hull Royal Infirmary where he spent several weeks recovering from the crash which involved a car he had taken from his parents without permission and driven without a valid licence. The car was written off by insurers after the crash.

McKalroy pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicle taking and driving a motor vehicle otherwise than in accordance with a licence when he appeared before magistrates in Bridlington last Wednesday.

He was also found in possession of a small quantity of amphetamine at the time of the crash and pleaded guilty to possessing a controlled drug of class B.

Prosecutor Jayne Wilson told the court that McKalroy confirmed to police that he had no driving licence and he had taken the vehicle knowing it belonged to his parents and he had no insurance to drive it.

In mitigation Vicky Lancaster told the court that McKalroy previously had a long standing drug habit but had been clean since going into a Christian rehabilitation programme in Wales and had tested negative for drugs at the time of the crash.

Ms Lancaster said McKalroy had been discussing his daughter with his ex-partner over the internet and was concerned about her because she had been unwell.

“At the time he made a total irrational decision to be with her because he’d got it into his head that she had meningitis. He went into a real panic, got into his parent’s car and drove to Bridlington,” Ms Lancaster said.

Ms Lancaster said McKalroy had been taking medication for the pain he was suffering after contracting hepatitis C and that may have contributed to the crash.

“He got a metal pole impaled through his leg missing the artery by a fraction. He was in hospital for many, many weeks,” Ms Lancaster added.

Ms Lancaster also told the court that the amphetamine found in his clothing was a “minuscule amount” and looked as if it had been through the wash.

Passing sentence presiding magistrate Sue Ackrill said: “You were driving unsupervised and not very well, you could have killed yourself and then what would your daughter have done?”.

McKalroy was disqualified from driving for 12 months and fined £70. He was also ordered to pay court costs of £40 and a victim surcharge of £15. The court also ordered to forfeiture and destruction of the amphetamine.

The Excelsior Brass Band will perform A Seasonal Music Extravaganza featuring flute and organ pieces on Saturday December 8 at 7.30pm in St John the Baptist Church, Carnaby. Tickets are £5 and will be available on to the door, to include drink and mince pies.

The band will also play a carol concert at the East Riding Crematorium on Monday December 3, all proceeds to the Motor Neurone Disease Association.

A Christmas fair at All Saints Church in Nafferton raised about £580 towards the upkeep of the church.

The event, entitled All Saints Church Goes Festive, included cake and gift stalls, books, plants and a tombola. Refreshments including home-made soup were served.

EAST Riding of Yorkshire Council is poised switch to fortnightly green bin collections – despite a Government warning that English councils that fail to provide a weekly bin collection could lose some public funding.

East Riding Council said the roll out of the fortnightly collections of the blue recycling bins and the green landfill bins is being driven by residents.

But Tory local Government Secretary Eric Pickles is widely reported as saying there was no “plausible reason” why some councils had fortnightly rounds.

In a BBC report he is quoted as saying that residents deserved better and promised to “look closely” at the grant funding given to councils.

East Riding of Yorkshire Council Driffield ward member Symon Fraser said Mr Pickles had been referring to councils which went against the wishes of residents and had no argument with those who were doing what the residents wanted.

“Trials of fortnightly collections of both blue and green bins in Driffield, Little Driffield and Cranswick have been well received and the reaction of residents has been hugely positive,” said Coun Fraser

“More importantly, local residents have been telling me that since the improved recycling facilities have been in place the waste in their green bins has dropped to the lowest ever amounts and that they are perfectly happy for these bins to be collected fortnightly”.

In 2004 East Riding residents had only the green landfill bins and there were 51 collections a year. Residents now have three bins and under the new service there will be 78 collections a year. In 2004 the annual recycling rate was 14 per cent, this year it will be 54 per cent.

In April the council started trialling fortnightly collections and month after month the recycling rate was 70 per cent, among the highest in the country. In those same months it was 60 per cent in the non-trial areas.

In the trial area the waste collected from the bins and sent for recycling went up by 30 per cent, while the waste in the green landfill bins dropped by 35 per cent, stopping council tax payers money being spent on landfill tax.

SANTA will be leaving his sleigh behind and visiting Nafferton on rowing boat.

Nafferton Scouts have announced that on Friday December 7 the man himself will be rowing across Nafferton Mere as the Christmas lights are switched on.

The Scouts will then lead Santa up the hill to his grotto at Nafferton Primary School.

The school will play host to a Christmas Fayre with craft stalls and games including a raffle, tombola, lucky dip, biscuit decorating a bottle stall to name but a few.

An array of trade and Christmas card stands selling jewellery, homemade crafts and books will give revellers the chance to do some Christmas shopping whilst the Driffield Silver Band get into the Christmas spirit with a programme of festive numbers.

Refreshments will include cakes, hot drinks, squash, mince pies and hotdogs.

The Scouts sad: “We hope you’ll come put to support and enjoy the evening’s festivities.”