Extensive grounds, with barns and outbuildings ripe for conversion, are the setting for this substantial four-bedroom home, on the market at £699,950.

The property, at 41 Snowdon Lane, Troway, Sheffield S21, is set in open countryside between Dronfield and Eckington, with panoramic views across the area.

Despite its rural setting, it is just two miles from Dronfield, with easy access to Sheffield city centre and the motorway network.

The front door opens into a large reception hall with natural wood flooring and store cupboard.

The spacious sitting room features an Adam-style fireplace with open grate fire.

Twin doors lead to a separate dining room. There is also a well-proportioned family room.

A breakfast kitchen is fitted with solid oak-fronted base and wall units and a quarry tiled floor. Integrated appliances include a four-ring Zanussi gas hob with illuminated extractor canopy, a double electric oven with grill, a fridge and dishwasher.

Stairs rise to a landing, off which are three bedrooms, all fitted with built-in wardrobes.

A luxurious bathroom has been recently fitted with a Whirlpool bath, low-flush wc, corner shower and multi-jet steam cabin, and built-in speakers. Leading off it is a pine sauna.

There is also a large shower room with steam cabin, basin and wc.

More stairs rise to a second floor which is given over to a large en-suite guest bedroom and eaves storage.

Outside, a driveway provides ample parking for numerous vehicles and access to an attached garage. This houses the boiler and has plumbing for an automatic washing machine.

The back garden has a patio, lawns, raised herbaceous beds and a potential paddock area.

A stone barn with adjacent store and wash house had planning consent (now lapsed) for conversion to a one-bedroomed holiday cottage or self-contained annexe.

A separate large building also has lapsed planning consent for a two-bedroom dwelling.

Details: Saxton Mee, Dronfield office (01246) 290992

Panoramic views

4 double bedrooms

3 bathrooms & sauna

Outbuildings

Set in approx 1 acre

Details:

Saxton Mee, Dronfield office (01246) 290992

THIEVES stole a child’s Osprey stunt scooter in green and blue from outside the Tesco store in Morton Lane, Beverley.

The scooter was secured with a bicycle lock to the cycle rack between 1.30pm and 3pm on Friday January 4 when the theft occurred.

The scooter has the initials L H on the handlebars and L HART written on the bottom.

Anyone who saw anything suspicious or knows the whereabouts of the stolen scooter is asked to contact Humberside Police on the non emergency number 101 referring to crime number 1950910 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

THE SPIRIT of Christmas generosity abounded in Driffield this year as the town’s rotary club collected over £2000 for charity.

The Santa Claus sleigh ride beat its target of £2000 with the sum of £2,220.67. A further donation of £10 capped off the fund-raiser.

The money will be shared between the rotary’s charities - in particular in setting up another educational trust fund. It will also go towards paying for a young person to attend the Rotary Young Leaders Award Course.

The Rotarians thanked Driffield residents and volunteers who helped with the collection.

Lancashire children’s author Steve Hartley has been voted ‘Coolest Dude of the Year’ for five years running, so it’s always best to expect the unexpected when you open one of his amazing books.

The madcap mastermind behind the astronomically popular Danny Baker Record Breaker series is on a mission... to get boys reading. And Oliver Tibbs (better known as Oliver Fibbs) could be just the anti-hero to make those reluctant young males turn over a new leaf.

Oliver is not brilliant at anything except telling fibs (and that’s no lie!) and his hair-raising adventures, played out in hilarious comic strip style, are full of that all-important touch of anarchy that will appeal to mischievous boys.

Attack of the Alien Brain is the launch pad for the first series and is aimed at the seven to nine age group in which reading alone is becoming an important step.

Steve Hartley is heading to various Lancashire schools, including Ormskirk’s West End Primary and CE Primary School on Thursday January 17, to spread a few home truths about his fabulous, funny and fibbing new creation.

And Oliver Fibbs really is a boy that many youngsters can identify with. Everyone in his family seems to be super-brilliant at something, whether that’s chess, ballet, brain surgery or architecture, but he’s not brilliant at anything.

Show and Tell (or as he calls it, Pain and Torture Time) is his worst nightmare. He hasn’t got a black belt at karate or made a mega-powerful electro-magnet. All he’s good at is reading comics and eating pizza, and he’s fed up with being Dull and Boring, so he’s hatched a plan.

He’s been telling the class about his adventures as a Defender of Planet Earth, battling against the evil Alien Brain Drain who wants to take over the world. Everyone loved it, except Miss Wilkins who gave him a detention for telling fibs. And now his parents think he’s ‘going bad’ even though he keeps telling them they’re not fibs, they’re just stories!

With its easily accessible text design and its key comedy content, Hartley’s exciting and inventive new series is the perfect way to get boys interested in reading... and to keep them glued to the story well beyond the first page.

(Macmillan, paperback, £5.99)

The only way was Slimming World for reality star Mark Wright when he met Katie Trever at the weight-loss organisation’s annual awards ceremony to celebrate its most successful slimmers.

Katie, who manages Slimming World groups in Beverley, was thrilled to get the chance to pose for a photo with Mark at the event in Birmingham.

Mark, who shot to fame on The Only Way is Essex before taking to the jungle as a contestant in I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here, now fronts ITV2 show Take Me Out The Gossip. He joined Slimming World’s founder Margaret Miles-Bramwell OBE to host the ceremony.

Katie said meeting Mark was the perfect ending to a great year for Slimming World. The club now helps more than a million people every year to lose weight and lead healthier, happier lives at one of its 9,500 weekly sessions.

“But there’s still a lot of work to be done,” adeds Katie. “With one of the highest levels of obesity in Europe right here in the UK, we want to help even more people to slim down and improve their health starting this January. At this time of year lots of people will be making New Year’s resolutions and pledging to lose weight, and we’d love anyone who wants to make a change to come along and join us.

“Even if they’ve struggled to stick to resolutions in the past, there’s no need to be put off. Slimming World’s Food Optimising plan isn’t a diet, it’s an easy, healthy way of eating that the whole family can enjoy. By making small easy changes to the way you shop, cook and eat, members see a big difference on the scales. Better yet, because our members can enjoy unlimited amounts of hundreds of everyday foods from fruit and veg to pasta and rice, lean meat to eggs and fat free dairy, they never have to go hungry. When you combine all this with the support members need to overcome the motivational challenges they face, and the encouragement to become more active, that’s a powerful weight loss package that’s hard to beat – all year round.”

A CONVICTED sex offender blasted a 20-bore shotgun through the living-room window of a house of those he blamed for spreading news that he was a paedophile.

Two-days after Adrian Thorsby, 49, was convicted of a sexual offence against a girl, he drove from his home in Rudston Walk, Burton Agnes, 25 miles to Kilnsea Grove, Hull, with a shotgun.

Thorsby pulled out the lethal firearm and shot a hole through glass in the downstairs font window of the p[roperty around 9am - with four children inside.

The family had no connection with the original victim, Hull Crown Court heard.

The occupants of the house, Lisa Thompson and Andrew Steen, would normally have been downstairs watching TV.

By chance, they were all upstairs and escaped injury - but were left terrified Thorsby would return. The shotgun has never been recovered.

Thorsby, who later denied ever leaving home, then made off towards Preston and drove north to Burton Agnes.

He was caught after police, who linked him to gunpowder residue, used satellite cellphone technology to trace the movements of Thorsby’s mobile phone down the A165 before and after the attack.

At the time of the offence on November 20 2011, Thorsby had been released on bail awaiting sentence for the original sexual offence.

Thorsby, who has fled from Burton Agnes, and now lives in Walsall, appeared at Hull Crown Court on Monday January 7 for a trial. With witnesses waiting to give evidence, he pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

Defence barrister Rodney Ferm asked for the judge not to sentence until Thorsby had seen a probation officer from Bridlington who would prepare a report on his background.

“Mr Thorsby knows the inevitable nature of the sentence.”

Crown barrister David Hall said he wanted strict conditions that Thorsby would not return to the area and he should abide by a curfew from 9pm to 8am at his home in Walsall.

Recorder Richard Woolfall ordered Thorsby to stand as he told him: “The reality is you could be facing a custodial sentence. You must prepare yourself for that.”

Speaking outside court, Andrew Steen said: “He could have killed us. There were four children in the house – one of whom has cycstic fibrosis. We heard the blast but luckly we were upstairs and just happened to be arguing. Normally we would have been down stairs setting up the Wii for the children. One of the children is still having nightmares.”

Thorsby will be sentenced at Hull Crown Court on February 8. He faces up to five years in prison.

A new community theatre is underway at St Nicholas Community Centre, Holmechurch Lane, Beverley, and a new musical theatre group will be using it as their home.

Beverley Youth Theatre @ St Nicks meet on Sunday afternoons at the Centre. Although predominantly for young people starting from the age of 4 the group will welcome older “young at heart” members.

“We were originally Off Shoots Musical Theatre Company,” said Jane Walker, leader of the group, “but that name was when we were part of another society in the area. We have spent several months refurbishing the stage area at St Nicks using funding we received from Beverley Town Council”.

“In light of this funding and the association with St Nicholas Church, it was felt that a more appropriate name would be beneficial and we will be known as ByTe @ St Nicks.

As well as performing mainly musical productions the group will now offer education in theatre which can lead to exams through LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art) as well as Musical Theatre exams with Trinity College of Music.

The new community theatre space will be available for other groups to hire shortly.

New members to ByTe @ St Nicks are very welcome and the sessions start on Sunday 13 January 13 – 3-4pm for 4-6 year olds and all other ages from 4pm until 6pm.

“This group is not run as a business, it is purely run by volunteers. I have over 40 years experience in professional musical theatre and professional singing and want to pass on what I have learned so that everyone can enjoy theatre” said Jane. “Our fees are £3 per hour and we are hoping to be able to offer bursaries to assist children whose families are on low incomes or benefits to be able to enjoy theatre”.

For further information contact Jane on 07582 931158.

Beverley Round Table is looking forward to welcoming new members as people look to make changes to their lives in 2013.

It’s not just shops with sales that experience a January rush. As the tinsel and trees come down, blokes across the UK start looking to their plans for the New Year, and an increasing amount of men want to join their local Round Table.

Whether it’s finding a better social life, improved health and fitness, or the feel good factor of helping the local community, Round Table provides the perfect opportunity for men in Beverley to make a resolution they will want to keep.

Jason Thomson of Round Table, said: “For many guys, the new year provides an opportunity to look at life and make some changes. We know to expect a busy time for our clubs, welcoming local men who want to make a difference to their life and the lives of others.

“Round Table is always open to new members and it’s interesting that we tick more than a few boxes for those looking to keep this year’s resolution. The secret to a good resolution includes; be specific, be realistic, and make it fun and rewarding – something I can guarantee they’ll get out of Round Table.”

To make it easier for men to find out more about getting involved with their local table, the organisation has a dedicated new members’ contact to help with the process, join@roundtable.org.uk

Jason said: “Round Table is all about providing a fun and relaxed environment where men from all walks of life can get involved in a huge range of team activities, boost their skills and help their local community.

“We’re welcoming anyone who’s interested to go along to their local Table, try it for free, and see what it’s all about.”

To find out more about Beverley Round Table, including how to join, email join@roundtable.org.uk or visit www.roundtable.co.uk/findoutmore.

CROWDS gathered in Beverley on Boxing Day to enjoy the Holderness Hunt Boxing Day meet.

The Hunt, which draws in the crowds annually on December 26, saw around 20 huntsmen take part.

Charles Clark lead the event which takes place on Beverley Westwood.

The Middleton Hunt Boxing Day meet also took place on Driffield Showground and another group of Middleton Hunt Supporters met in Malton to carry out the annual tradition.

All pictures supplied by Terry Carrott.

Scourge of the NYPD, an enigma to his own family, Detective Callum Doyle lives life on the edge...

Obsessive, hot-headed, rude and abrasive, he broods, snarls and glowers, but the violence that bubbles beneath his prickly Irish immigrant skin is threatening to erupt with devastating effect.

Marked is Wirral-based David Jackson’s third book featuring maverick New York cop Doyle and this new chapter in what has become the single-minded detective’s ruthless, relentless pursuit of justice makes its own show-stopping mark.

For a writer who must surely be more familiar with the beat of a British bobby, Jackson has become masterful at immersing himself in the seamy side of Manhattan’s Eighth Precinct.

His superb crime thrillers crackle with the tension that exudes from every pore of a detective whose nose for trouble, fine line in making enemies and penchant for black humour have made him an irresistible anti-hero.

As Doyle’s erratic behaviour becomes more unpredictable, so the cases he is assigned to become more gruesome, more baffling, more compromising ... and more deadly.

In New York’s downtown East Village, 16-year-old Megan Hamlyn, who lives with her parents in a pretty tree-lined road in middle class Forest Hills, is brutally raped, tortured and murdered. Her body parts are put in garbage bags and left for others to discover.

Detective Callum Doyle is put on the case even though only a few months ago he thought his police career was all but over. His last assignment turned him into something of a hero and since then he’s ‘become a cop again.’

But his colleagues, including his new partner Detective Tommy LeBlanc, are suspicious of him, not least because his rapier-sharp mind is allied to a nasty temper and a vicious tongue. Working with him, LeBlanc is warned, is ‘like walking through a minefield... just make sure he doesn’t make you go first.’

Meanwhile, Doyle has seen the victim’s remains, he’s visited the distraught family, he wants justice at all costs, and a distinctive tattoo on the girl’s body leaves him convinced he knows who the killer is.

The only problem is that he can’t prove it and the more he pushes his prime suspect, the more he learns that the man is capable of pushing back in ways more devious and twisted than Doyle could ever have imagined.

Throw in the appearance of an old adversary who has a mission for Doyle and won’t take no for an answer, and soon the detective finds himself at risk of losing everything he holds dear, including his life.

Marked is a deftly executed thriller with a fascinating cop as lead player. Journeying with Doyle through the immoral maze of downtown New York is a walk on the wild side, but one you wouldn’t certainly want to miss.

(Macmillan, paperback, £12.99)

A funeral service was held at the East Riding Crematorium on Monday January 7 for the late Mr George Edwin ‘Ted’ Grey-Nicholson of Great Kelk who died suddenly at home on 22nd December. He was 66.

The service was conducted by the Rev James Anderson & the organist was Mr Peter Maw.

Ted was born and lived in Lockington at the Rockingham Arms Pub which was a family business. He was a garage proprietor in Driffield for 32 years. He moved to live in Great Kelk in 1979.

He enjoyed playing golf at Driffield and had played for 35 years.

He loved gardening and was a great family man, he loved spending time with them especially his grandchildren and will be greatly missed.

Family mourners: Anne Grey-Nicholson (wife), William Edward Grey-Nicholson (son), Richard Edward Grey-Nicholson (son), Sarah Grey-Nicholson & Des Tyler (daughter & partner), Chloe & George Grey-Nicholson (grandchildren), Mary Hollingsworth (sister), David & Jenny Nicholson (brother & sister in law), Sandra Cuthbert (friend).

Others present: Jessie Trafford (sister), John & Hilary Nicholson (brother & sister in law) rep Tony Swann & Mr C H Stephenson, Dennis King rep Audrey King, Marion & Sidney Palmer, Mr Norman Woodall, Ted Atkinson, Sharon Fell, Robert Megginson, John, Allan & Debbie Gardener rep Darren Walker, Mrs Gwen Bradley, Brian Muir rep Tony Potter, Alec Taylor rep Mabel, Sara Brown, John Finch rep Jim Sampson, Mr J White, Mr & Mrs B Edwards, Sharon Nicholson, Carl Malster, Colin Farnaby, Charlie Buckton, Robin Langhamer rep Elizabeth, David Gilliat rep Barbara & Mr & Mrs Ian Gilliat, Tim Beachell, Gavin Dalton, Karen Dalton, Kelly Dalton, Antony Hollis, Sophie Clark, Kate Dalton, Howard & Pam Dalton, Phil Wrigglesworth rep Julia wrigglesworth & Boyes Garage, Kilham, Mr & Mrs Graham Megginson, Roy Fisher rep Jenny, Diane Hudman, Cavan Grey- Nicholson, Ted Hutchinson rep Ann Hutchinson & Anthony & Jane Kitching, Susie & Neil Allerston, Malcolm Milne, Mr & Mrs A Carlton, Harry Leech, Christine Waind, Mrs M Kirkwood, Neil Smith, Roland Boynton rep Ann, Andrew Atkin, Dennis Cooper,John Parkinson, Mr & Mrs M Dalton, Hilary & Dave Slack,Mr & Mrs T Horsley. John Nicholson, Colin Buckton, Bob Crabtree, Phil Van-Wijk, Peter Fishpool, Andrew Middlewood rep Mike & Georgina Middlewood, John & Jill Seaton, Mark & Carol Dalton, Leila Cooper, Lily Slater, Richard Charter, Max Horncastle, Mrs C Milne, Jonathan & Joanna Bielby, Mr & Mrs Keith Bradley, Barrie Foreman rep J H Foreman Ltd & Chris Whitehouse, Peter Dove, Peter Casey, Mr P Owen rep the Owen family & Steve Stubbings, Bernard Jordan, Wilf Norman rep Jim & Rachael Norman, Frank & Sue Bertie, Isobel & Geoff Drewery, Dick & June Atkinson, Rod Townend, Wendy Lambert, John & June Lea, Japp Vermejden, Duncan Lambert, David Hornshaw, Anne Tyler rep the family. Christine Brown, Jan Allen, Dave Brown,Mrs Anderson rep Alison King & Keith Gray, Mr & Mrs I E Ramsey, Steve Rookes, Mr & Mrs F Naylor rep Mr & Mrs C Gordon,Mr & Mrs W J Grey-Nicholson, Helen & Len Gisbourne, Peter & Greer Montgomery, Mr & Mrs Gary Spence rep Mr & Mrs Gerald Spence, Andrew & Jill Palmer, Simon Spence rep Mrs C Spence, Mike Markham, Janet Robinson rep John Robinson, Don Oxtoby rep Audrey Oxtoby & Jackson, Robson & License, Adele Currie, Susan & Jeff Appleyard, T Sterriker, Chris Clark rep Janette Clark, Melissa Clark, Charlotte Smith, James Bielby, Mr & Mrs B Etherington, Mr & Mrs S B Speck, Mike Kellingham, John Kenington, Richard Hornby, Jane Smith, Nick Pearce, John & Mary Allenby, Kevin Walker, Kate Lawty, Pat Lawty, Gwen Byass, James Nicholson,Peter Easterby, John & Val Eastbrook, Philip Warkup, Mr & Mrs P Thompson, Richard Burt, Tony Dean rep TD Plastics, Mr & Mrs S King, Pat Middlewood rep Mrs T Middlewood & Claire Nellist, Nigel & Maureen Lunn rep Norman & Barbara Colley, Peter Bradbury rep Irene & Simon Bradbury, George Snowden, G Leason rep Mike & Linda Hartley, Neil Nicholson, Peter Bedford .

Staff at Southburn-based JSR are celebrating after the company was awarded the prestigious Investors in People Gold Standard.

Investors in People (IIP) Gold is a demanding standard that sets out a framework for evaluating how well a company connects strategy and operational planning with its people policy, and JSR are believed to be one of the first agricultural companies in the UK to be awarded the Standard.

SR Chairman Tim Rymer said: “We are delighted to be awarded Investors in People Gold in an Olympic year. We have held the Investor in People Standard since 1993 and three years ago set ourselves a goal to achieve gold in 2012.

“I believe a well-thought out strategy implemented by well-trained and motivated people is the key to success. What we have done is make sure that it happens consistently in practice and it’s down to the commitment and hard work of the staff that we are celebrating this achievement.”

Investors in People Specialist Anne Stockdale was impressed by the way JSR had incorporated people management best practice into their business, leading them to meeting the Gold standard.

HEAVY snowfall has caused disruption for schools this morning with several in the area closed.

Kilham Primary School has announced it is closed today due to the weather, as well as Driffield Junior School and Driffield’s Kings Mill Special School.

Bridlington School has said it will be open from 10am this morning.

Chase away those January blues with Scholastic’s colourful collection of children’s books which includes an exciting new series based on real-life animal rescues.

Whether it’s a little lost hedgehog, a dog biscuit-sized girl or a seafaring adventure in Cornwall, there’s a story to warm hearts, tickle ribs and set hearts pounding.

Fresh from the printers this month is a brilliant new series of books which have been produced by Scholastic in tandem with the RSPCA, the leading UK animal welfare charity. The books feature fictional characters but tell the real-life story of the RSPCA’s part in an animal rescue.

Each book, priced at only £4.99 and suitable for children aged over three, has a separate theme – wildlife, pets and farm – and includes heart-warming stories that families can enjoy together as well helping little ones to become aware of the important role of the RSPCA in saving animal lives. The beautifully-produced books, with a foiled cover and full of adorable illustrations, also promote responsible pet ownership. There are facts about animal care, an interview with a real RSPCA inspector and information about the RSPCA children’s club. And for every book sold, 15p will be donated to the RSPCA.

In Puppy Gets Stuck by Sue Mongredien, Emily’s family has a new puppy. Pickle is naughty and loves exploring but one day, when out for a walk, Pickle goes missing. Emily’s family and the whole village search everywhere but Pickle can’t be found. Then Emily hears a tiny yap and discovers Pickle is in a pickle. He has fallen into an old mineshaft. The RSPCA and fire brigade come to help and with the help of a special harness, Pickle is pulled to safety!

In Little Lost Hedgehog by Jill Hucklesby, we meet Grace who is out in the garden feeding her rabbits when she hears a rustle in the flower bed. She sits very still by the kitchen door, peering out into the dark and then spots some little paws, two shiny eyes and a twitching nose. It’s a tiny hedgehog but where is its family because he looks lost and hungry? Grace’s mum calls the RSPCA who take it back to their centre and nurse it back to health.

And in the topical Lamb All Alone by Katie Davies, Ben’s school is closed due to a flood warning. At home, Ben and his family secure the house against the rising water but what about the sheep in the field at the end of his garden? The farmer is stuck on his farm and can’t rescue them. Luckily, the RSPCA are on hand to help. Together Ben’s family and the RSPCA Inspector herd the animals to safety – through Ben’s garden! But one little lamb has been left behind. How will they get the animal across the deep water?

These eye-catching and informative books are set to be a real winner with children who love animals, fun and adventure.

Meanwhile, Jumblebum (paperback, £6.99), a brilliant new picture book from top team Chae Strathie and Ben Cort , will have children aged three to six laughing along to the rhyming text and enjoying the big, bright, colourful illustrations. Little Johnny thinks that his room has its own special style but mum thinks his room is a mess. Johnny doesn’t care… until the chaos attracts the terrible Jumblebum Beast. Is Johnny about to end up in the mess-loving monster’s tummy, or can his secret plan save the day? This hilarious tale about the importance of tidying up has a moral that won’t be lost on little ones. It’s for sure there’ll be a new broom sweeping clean when Jumblebum gets to work! And it’s not only little ones who are going to have all the fun this January. The amazing Shrinking Violet Potts (paperback, £5.99), the brainchild of the talented Lou Kuenzler, is a fresh and quirky character and her madcap adventures are jam packed with thrills, spills and laughter.

A must for all eight-year-olds and over with bags of attitude, Violet’s escapades guarantee guffaws on every page. In Shrinking Violet Definitely Needs a Dog, we meet Violet who is normal size one minute and dog biscuit-size the next. Her startling transformation takes place when she gets very excited or nervous and that could happen at any time.

Here we find Violet desperate for a dog, but she’s not allowed one – well, not unless she can prove she’s really, really responsible. Luckily there’s a dog walking scheme that she and her friend Nisha can join and where they love playing with their designated puppy, Chip. Violet and Nisha really want Chip to win the dog show and not mean Ratty-Riley and his dog. But on the big day, Violet surprises Nisha by shrinking to the size of a dog biscuit, and sometimes being tiny is terrifying! However, Violet discovers that her small size might yet win her a prize...

An eye-catching text and warm, witty illustrations by Kirsten Collier add to the entertainment while a special foiled cover and chunky, square shaped design ensure these books will become collectible classics.

Younger readers will also be hooked on Midnight Pirates (paperback, £6.99), Ally Kennan’s second standalone book which is brimming over with excitement, intrigue, tension and wit.

The beautiful (and supposedly haunted) Dodo Hotel sits proudly on the edge of the beautiful Cornish coast. To 13-year-old Miranda and her brothers Jackie, 10, (and his dog Fester) and Cal, 16, whose parents own the 300-year-old hotel, it is the best place in the world.

But the hotel is leaking money with a constant need for repairs and, apart from a few ghost hunters, it isn’t attracting enough guests to make ends meet. It has to be sold and the children must go away to boarding school.

Determined not to lose their beloved home and to stop the Dodo Hotel becoming extinct, Miranda and her brothers hatch a plan. Whilst their parents are away at a wedding, they will escape from school and go back to run the hotel themselves. After all, how difficult can it be?

But one day a strange man checks into the hotel and Miranda is immediately suspicious. And when a ship runs aground in the bay, it seems her worst fears are coming true. This man has something to do with it, and the children are in even more trouble than they could possibly have imagined.

This is a book full of knockabout fun that will appeal to the over ten age group with its irreverent humour, crazy adventures, busy, buzzing dialogue, a charismatic cast of kids (and adults!) and a mystery to keep readers guessing.

Couple all this with its fantastic Cornish setting and seafaring skulduggery, and you have a brilliantly conceived 21st century take on the adventures of Enid Blyton’s Famous Five.

A VACANCY has arisen on Nafferton Parish Council.

A by-election to fill the vacancy will be held if 10 electors of the parish write to the chief executive of East Riding of Yorkshire Council at County Hall, Beverley, East Yorkshire, HU17 9BA, by Tuesday, 22 January 2013 claiming an election.

If the chief executive does not receive such a request, the parish council will be informed that it may fill vacancies by co-option.

The dazzling but brutal world of 12th century Japan springs into glorious life through the bizarre destiny of one young peasant girl in Barbara Lazar’s sumptuous new novel.

Kozaishō is Fifth Daughter of a large family, sold by her father to a cruel master in exchange for a plot of land and exiled to the dark and shadowy Village of Outcasts where she will become a Woman-For-Play.

In a story told through Kozaishō’s diary, or pillow book, we journey with her through thrilling twists of fate and fortune which will see her as a woman of the night, a wife, a lover, a teller of fantastical stories, a wise woman and a female samurai warrior.

Kozaishō’s brothers and sisters laughed when she told them she had dreamt that she ate from lacquered bowls and wore glittering kimonos. She’s Fifth Daughter, the youngest child of the family and is destined to always live off the land.

But Kozaishō possesses a special gift – her beauty – and it is one that gets her noticed by Proprietor Chiba, the ‘Above-the Clouds’ person who owns the fields where her father works.

Sold to Proprietor Chiba for extra land which her family has long coveted, little Kozaishō asks her father how many days she will be away. ‘A lifetime,’ he replies.

With her father’s last words ringing in her ears, ‘Keep our honour. Do your duty,’ the child is whisked away to Lesser House where she learns about the trappings of wealth, how to dance and the meaning of loneliness.

Marked out by two auspicious omens, she is also allowed to train in the ancient arts of the samurai and befriends the warrior Akio who teachers her to be the Pink Flower samurai, to wield a bow and arrow, to fight with a sword, to use the energy of anger for her weapons, and to cry at beauty but not at pain.

But she also make a powerful enemy in the ruthless priest Goro and when she crosses him, she is banished to the notorious Village of Outcasts, a small, stinking town of prostitutes, tanneries and ‘unclean activities.’

But through the power of storytelling, she learns to fight her fate, twisting her life onto a path that even she could not have imagined...

Lazar’s painstaking research and self-proclaimed obsession with Japanese culture ensures that Kozaishō’s epic story is played out with plenty of historical authenticity, accuracy, atmosphere and an abundance of helpful notes.

But it is also a gripping, cleverly conceived and heart-wrenching love story threaded through with the art, culture and storytelling traditions of Japan. At its heart is one woman’s determination to forge her own destiny, to guard the honour of her family and to stay true to herself.

The beauty of Kozaishō’s imaginative storytelling and poetry, which forms the kernel of her own life story, creates a magical, vivid and fable-like quality to the action and the narrative.

The Pillow Book of the Flower Samurai is a formidable Far Eastern feast served up in the best traditions of Japanese storytelling... full of rich, exciting flavours, gritty realities, saucy side dishes and unexpected surprises to tickle the taste buds.

Truly a story to savour...

(Headline Review, paperback, £7.99)

As a new term begins at a tiny North Yorkshire primary school in September 1983, headmaster Jack Sheffield feels that familiar mix of excitement and trepidation.

There’s a fresh intake to settle in, a new teacher to be appointed and at home, Jack and wife Beth are getting used to being parents to baby John.

But nothing has prepared him for the tragedies, triumphs and scandals that will test his skills and endurance in the months that lie ahead...

For those who haven’t already met Jack Sheffield and his amazing, multi-faceted cast of characters, welcome to Ragley-on-the-Forest, a fictional village which forms the backcloth for some of the headmaster-turned-author’s hilarious and heart-breaking real-life experiences at two North Yorkshire schools in the 1970s and 1980s.

School’s Out! is the seventh instalment of the ever-popular Teacher series, and memories of the brave new world of the Eighties, Sheffield’s wry Yorkshire humour and moments of childhood magic are still flowing with the same irresistible exuberance, charm and affection.

For Jack and his cohorts, it’s the era of the new CD player, Microsoft adverts featuring something called Word, the McDonald’s McNugget, a range of strange dolls called Cabbage Patch, the threat of miners’ strikes and a final farewell to the halfpenny piece.

And at Ragley CE School, Jack gets ready for an even more eventful year than usual, including a bizarre introduction to new girl, four-year-old Madonna Fazackerly, who is sporting a Wham! t-shirt, black stone-washed jeans and red pixie boots.

Her ‘sensitivity’ has got her mum and dad ‘proper flummoxed’ and they are eager she should continue a family tradition and ‘mek ’er mark’ on the school. By the end of the first day, some unfortunate graffiti, a wall decorated with handprints and the near death experience of two goldfish will ensure her parents’ fears were groundless.

And there are tests ahead for the village’s adults. School caretaker Ruby’s nostalgia, as the last of her six children gets ready to leave Ragley Primary, is overtaken by a shocking event, and at the village Coffee Shop, assistant Dorothy Humpleby is planning a ‘dirty weekend’ with boyfriend Malcolm in pursuit of a marriage proposal.

But the appointment of a new teacher sets tongues wagging and a scandal brews that is uncomfortably close to home for headmaster Jack.

The joy of Sheffield’s laugh-out-loud books is his attention to period detail, his ability to tap into the fun and foibles of both school and village life and a gentle touch which adds poignancy and pathos to sensitive plotlines.

Top marks again to everyone’s favourite headmaster!

(Bantam, paperback, £12.99)

A funeral service was held at the East Riding Crematorium on Friday January 11 for Mrs Betty Weekes of the Glenfield Residential Home who died peacefully in Glenfield on 6th January. She was aged 91.

The service was conducted by the Rev Robert Amos and the organist was Mr Peter Maw.

Betty was born in Ystradgynlais, Swansea Valley, South Wales. After leaving school she went nursing in London under the aegis of her sister, she came home as war broke out to marry her husband to be Dick who was in a reserved occupation - mining. They had two sons Ross and Ceri, sadly Ceri died as a baby.

She had a very happy married life, she created a warm, cheerful home which was open all hours to friends and neighbours.

She participated in a number of chapel activities (Tabernacl, Ystradgynlais, where, of course, Archbishop Rowan Williams was baptised). She was a member of the Light Opera Society and was also an active member of the Ystrad Labour Women’s Club, they raised a fortune for charity.

After Dick’s pit closed they went to live and work in London.

After their grandchildren Sally and Owain were born they came to live in Driffield to share in their growing up. Dick worked part time at several jobs in Driffield whilst Betty worked in Joe Butler’s clothes shop before eventually doing voluntary work with Barnardo’s.

Betty and Dick enjoyed returning to Wales to see family and bought a cottage there where they made lasting friendships, they also loved travelling all over the UK and the Med, their favourite being trips to Crete and Oberamagau. Most of the year was spent very happily in Driffield spending time with their family.

Betty soon got involved with activities at the Methodist Church and the Driffield Light Opera Society.

After Dick died in 1998 Betty went to live at Taylor’s Field, she made many friends there.

She will be greatly missed by her family and friends.

Family mourners: Ross & Liz Weekes (son & daughter in law), Sally & Jon (granddaughter & fiancé), Owain (grandson), Wyn Jones (nephew), Anne & John Anderson (niece & husband), Drew & Gail Anderson (nephew & wife), Mark & John Anderson (great nephews), Ann & Paul Coultass (niece & husband), Cliff & Rosalie Jones (nephew & wife).

Others present: Mr & Mrs J Burrell, Jane Burdass, Ramona Holt, Maureen Wright rep Mrs Joy Ewbank, Sheila Watson & Audrey Dale, Hilda Oxtoby, Olga Ewbank rep Jennifer Garner. Georgina Dean, Malcolm & Marjorie Clubley rep Ted & Bev Atkinson & Mrs M Atkinson, Jim & Janet Clark rep Mildred Galtry & Mary Dean, Geoff Hughes, Grace & Malcolm Craggs rep Yvonne Smith & Mark Oxtoby, Richard & Christine Pollard, Brian Kitt, Clive Hill, Rob & Elaine Leason, Rob & Jenny Youd rep Flora Anderson, Pip & Dave Matthews, Angela Goacher, Betty Wilson, Pauline Hullah, John Hall rep Sandie, Michael & Edna Parker rep Mrs Barbara Wilson, Mary Hanson, Judith & Ian Douglas, Sian Mundey rep Susan Couttes & Carewatch, Sue Mundey rep Marie Perrin & Carewatch, Lauren Paton rep Kerry Beedham & Natalie Davis-Holmes, Debbie Gibson rep Sue Bielby & Carewatch, Mr & Mrs Norman Ellis, Mick Foster, Robert Fenton rep Melanie Fenton & Michael & Andrew Fenton

A funeral service was held at the East Riding Crematorium on Friday January 4 for Mr Ian Sinton of Watton who died on December 20. He was aged 44 years.

The service was conducted by Mr David Keating.

Ian was born in Beverley Westwood on November 18 1968. He attended Cross Hill School and then the Secondary School in Driffield. He married Jaqueline in August, 1998 and they went on to have two children. He settled into engineering, working for the family business, Harrison Hire and Sales from 1994 to 2011, unfortunately he was enforced to retire due to illness.

Family mourners: Mrs Jaqueline Sarah Sinton (wife), Master Lewis Morgan Sinton (son), Miss Ysobella Jaqueline Sarah Sinton (daughter), Mrs Patricia Ann Sinton (mother), Janet & Paul Nichols (sister & brother in law), Denise & Tony Williams (sister & brother in law), Graham Sinton & Elaine Tate (brother & partner), Mark & Jeanette Sinton (brother & sister in law), Jonathan Hood & Natalie Woolhead (nephew & fiancé), Jennifer Hood & Sebestiano Secci (niece & fiance) also rep Robert Hood, Rebecca Hood & Ben Cooper (niece), Michael Nichols (nephew), Mrs June & Mr Trevor Harrison (mother in law & father in law), Tina & Warwick Ivel (sister in law & husband), Daisy Ivel & Angus Ivel (niece & nephew).

Others present: Nigel Thomas rep Clare Hanley, Richard Ireland, James Grice, Joan & Malcolm Medley, Louise Lowe, Marie Alison, Pete Fisher, Kerry Hara, Mr & Mrs Gordon Hunter, Tom Harrison, John & Mary Fothergill, Judy Ward rep John, Jane Daniels, Gary & Carol Botterill rep H & A Bell Motorcycles, Kerry Stych rep Helen Hoggard, John & Beryl Kinsella, Celia Wheaton, Ben & Douglas Noble,David Sheader, Sue Ward, Christine Shaw,Joy Waite, Vicky Waite, John & Penny Garnham, Trudy & Andrew Berriman, Liz Pexton rep Tony Pexton, Wendy Ashworth (nee Eccles), Mr & Mrs P Foster rep Jackie & Stuart Neish & family, Janet Woodcock, Jon & Ann Foster rep Lynn & Anita, Barbara & Brian Harrison, Keith & Sue Harrison, Darren Harrison, Kirsty Wall, Enid Wilks, Sharon Tomlinson, Christine Whitehouse, Peter Earle, Julie Ringrose, Janet Bates, Jason Storry, Mr & Mrs C & M Bryan rep Beswick School, Wayne Bratley, John Bateman, Tony Dale, Phil Dunn, John & Susan Harrison, Stephanie Leason rep Helen Pooley, Paul Newlove rep Joan Towse & David Lundy & staff, Mrs J Hughes rep Mr G Hughes, Pam Padam, John Hood, Sue Hildreth, Rose Shaw, Megan Cooper, Hannah Thurlow, Valerie Sharpe, Steph Bolton, Annie Corner, Mark Harrison rep Leila Fahey, Nigel & Joseph Hara, Debbie Handley, Mr G Warwick, Mr R Darley, Mark Foster, Cynthia & John Dawson rep the family, Samantha Lowey, Dawn Smith, Jill Barratt rep Beswick & Watton School, Andrew Anderson, Jason Schofield rep Dale Smith, Steph Harrison (Stish) rep Katheryn Harrison & Dan Harrison, Mike Robinson, Steve & Samuel Pickering rep Helen, Bethany & Millie Pickering & Angela & Tony Jones, Stan & Jean Burrell, Ruth Butler rep Geoff Butler & Terry & Marjorie Jackson, Simon & Anne Malster rep Chloe & Libby Malster, Bridget Conroy, Gill Powell, Vicky & Natasha Svenson, Stuart Barker rep Vanessa Barker, Sean & Kerry Booth rep Chuck, Mrs Joan Warkup rep Mr Keith Warkup, Andrew Warkup rep Mr & Mrs R White, Judy & Mick English rep Simon English, Susan Nichols, Kevin Gowlett, Mike Hood rep Sandra Cooper, Angela Goodwin & Craig Kelly, Simon Spence, Elizabeth & Alan Wall, Jeremy Dixon,Mr & Mrs S Cowton, Wendy Simpson rep Jim Sterriker, Mr Ian Mountain rep all the family, Ruth Russell, Richard McCann, Paul & Jane Leason, Beryl Leason rep Derrick Leason, Jane Kneeshaw, Julie Ashton, Stuart & Hester Hood, Nick & Sarah English, Diane Solonyna, Helen McNair, Lynne Smith, Belinda, Matthew & Andrew Watson, Mrs J Harrand, Mr W Malcolmson, Mr & Mrs R Kirk.

A funeral service was held at the East Riding Crematorium, Octon on Wednesday January 9 for Mr Robert Gladstone of Northfield Avenue, Driffield who died in The Limes Residential Home in Driffield on December 27. He was aged 88 years.

The service was conducted by the Rev Malcolm Exley and the organist was Mr Steven Westaway.

Bob was born in 1924 in Hull and attended school there. After leaving school he joined his father as a street vendor selling fish, fruit and veg from handcarts and covered all areas of Hull. He also worked as a butcher’s boy and delivery lad. In 1942 he worked at the Royal Station Hotel and over the years met many famous stars of stage and screen, including Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy who gave him a white fiver as a tip, a memory he always recalled. He also met royalty during his time there. He left there in June 1942 to join the Royal Navy, progressing to rank of Torpedo/Depth charge engineer, during this time he saw action in Malta, Cyprus and Gibralter. He was discharged in 1945 due to an accident when he fell overboard during the loading of depth charges. He returned to Hull and returned to the Royal Hotel until 1956. He moved to Driffield that year. His early years in Driffield were spent in the building trade, working at Elvington and other major building sites in the Driffield area. He also worked at the Driffield Aerodrome with his brother Frank alongside the Americans stationed at Driffield. After some years he went to work at the Brandesburton Hospital, again with his brother Frank. He transferred to the East Riding General Hospital to take work as a ward porter and telephonist where he stayed until retirement in 1988 and he left with many happy memories.

He was married to Brenda and they went on to have four children.

He loved to play his accordion and for many years played at the Pegasus Club in Driffield alongside his lifelong friend Mr Robin Frazer. He was part of the family that brought music to Driffield and played in the Black Swan, Red Lion, The Buck and The Tiger.

Bob loved his garden and DIY, he loved music of any kind, he loved his family and the family pets, among his favourite was Shep and the family have many happy memories of him.

He will be greatly missed by his family and friends.

Chief mourners: Brenda Gladstone (wife), David Gladstone (son), Barry & Janet Gladstone, Paul & Elizabeth Gladstone (sons & daughters in law), Amanda Gladstone (daughter) & Mr John Caley, Leanne & Andrew Sansome (granddaughter & husband), Gary & Zoe Gladstone (grandson & wife), Darren Gladstone, Richard Gladstone, Jonathan Gladstone, Benjamin Gladstone, Sam Gladstone (grandsons), Ellie Addinall, Morgan Addinall, Josh Sansome, Alfie Sansome (great grandchildren), Arthur & Ann Gladstone (brother & sister in law), Mrs Dot Sweaton (sister), Ivy & Brian Race (sister & brother in law), Eric & Dawn Gladstone (brother & sister in law), Frank Gladstone & Joy Brown (brother & partner), Mr Nick Gladstone & Dianne Akroyde (nephew), Daniel & Corey Gladstone (great nephews), Alan & Monica Davies (cousin & wife), Phil & Jan Bennett (cousin & Wife),

Others present: Peter Gladstone. Beryl Gladstone (sister in law), Elaine Gladstone, Robert Gladstone & Dawn Shepherdson, Martin Gladstone rep Amanda Gladstone, Jean Gladstone rep Mrs D Foster, Frank Gladstone (nephew), Stephen Briggs rep David Briggs & Emma Hodgson, Kathleen Briggs rep Margaret & Barbara Birkett, Terence Pallant, Julian Noble, Mr M Dale, Mr & Mrs B Rugg rep Karen Atkinson, Andrew Rugg, Julie Bowes rep Michelle, Amy & Connor, David Stork rep Christine Stork, Michael Wright, Tracey Hyde, Kelsie Wright,John Pilmoor, Madge Newman, Leigh Norman rep Mark Gladstone & Shane Gladstone, Catherine Parker rep Carole Kember, Dave Parker rep Andrew, Malcolm & Teresa Parker, Terry & Pauline Barker rep Andrew & Michael Gladstone, Mr H Gibson, Mr A Gibson, Jane Westbrook rep Wendy Palmer, Ian & Jo Proudlock, William Proudlock, James Edmond, Ashley Morris, Lee Walton rep Red Lion, Linda Newton, Philip James, Clare Wray, David James, Rob McNeil rep family, Viv & Jeff West, David Burnett, Gary Burnett, Joanne Burnett,Linda Jackson, Robin & Carol Fraser rep Chris & Tony Ward, Mr A Fraser rep Linda, Gordon & Doreen Evans, Mark Linklater, Mike Fenton, Mr P Jackson rep Mrs A Jackson, Jill Sissons-Hood rep Mr M Hood, Paul Woodmansey, Susan & Rod Greenwood (niece & husband), Malcolm Kennedy, Jim Barron, Phil Barron, Miss M Pearson, Jo & Paul Elstob.