The renowned Chief Inspector Van Veeteren might now be retired and ensconced in an antiquarian bookshop but his voice still speaks loud to his young protégé Ewa Moreno as she is drawn into a disturbing case...

Håkan Nesser, one of Sweden’s best and most popular crime writers, returns in an intriguing and intelligent murder mystery which encapsulates all that is so addictive about Scandinavian crime fiction.

His compelling Van Veeteren books have picked up a fistful awards and despite the partial disappearance of the enigmatic chief inspector, the eighth in the series enjoys renewed vigour from new kid on the block, the lovely, likeable Ewa.

Nesser is a consummate crime writer, providing brooding, atmospheric thrillers brimming with tension, startlingly real characters, illuminating nuggets of dry humour and plotlines that plumb the depths of the human soul.

And in an ironic twist on the gloom and darkness of the traditional Swedish crime mystery, Nesser’s new drama is set in the heat of a sweltering summer where, rest assured, the sun still manages to cast a large shadow over both the hunted and the hunters.

Detective Inspector Ewa Moreno from the Maardam Police is more than ready for a holiday with boyfriend Mikael when she is commandeered into interviewing a notorious lowlife criminal who claims to have ‘information’ for her ears only about a rogue policeman.

He is under arrest at Lejnice, close to her holiday house, and her ‘copper’s conscience’ won’t allow her to turn down the job. On the train journey there, she is moved by a weeping teenage girl who reveals she is preparing to meet her long-lost father.

He is teacher Arnold Maager, convicted of murdering his pupil Winnie Maas, apparently pregnant with his child, 16 years ago and has been incarcerated in a secure psychiatric unit in Lejnice ever since.

On her eighteenth birthday, Maager’s daughter Mikaela finally learned the terrible truth about her father and, desperate for answers, is travelling to the institution to meet and talk to him.

Soon afterwards Mikaela inexplicably vanishes and Ewa finds herself part of the inquiry into her disappearance. But before she can make any headway in the case, Maager himself also disappears – and then a body is found. It soon becomes clear to Ewa that only by unravelling events in the past will she unlock dark events in the present...

The resourceful, pragmatic, love-shy Ewa slips effortlessly into the gap left by the towering presence of Van Veeteren and a cameo appearance by the dogged old detective himself adds a welcome sparkle to the proceedings.

But it is Nesser’s easy, uncomplicated and yet compelling style which grabs us by the scruff of the neck from the memorable opening lines of The Weeping Girl and refuses to let go until the last page has turned.

Long live the king of the Nordic thriller...

(Mantle, hardback, £16.99)

Netball players from Driffield School recently travelled to Spain to take part in a tournament against other schools.

The Easter Netball Tour saw five teams from the school train and compete against other young netball teams. They also had the chance to enjoy the sights of Spain.

The group stayed in Salou, and enjoyed day trips to Barcelona and Porta Ventura.

Team member Daisy Ullyott said: “We had to do all different types of drills to help us build on what we already know and when we came back our feet and legs felt like they were on fire.”

Recalling the match day atmosphere, Daisy said: “We played all afternoon with only three minor injuries I think we came off very well. We all tried our very best and the results showed.”

On the penultimate evening of the tour, the students were treated to the Driffield School Awards Ceremony, with winners presented with chocolate and souvenirs.

Miss Marren said: “Both staff and students had an absolutely fantastic week in Spain. The girls behaved fantastically and did the school proud during their Netball training and tournament.

“With five brilliant teams, we were the best represented school. Unfortunately we did not quite reach top position, though not through a lack of effort.”

Miss Lee said: “Everyone who went on the tour had an amazing time, students and staff alike. The girls did themselves and Driffield School proud with the way they conducted themselves.”

The Girls’ Netball Team composed a letter of thanks to the Driffield School Association which provided them with funding. The letter said: “We would like to say a big thank you for the money you gave us to buy the two new netball kits. We hope you agree that they look very professional and that they were a great thing to have with us on the netball tour.

“We had a great time while we were there and we will continue to use the skills we learnt in the training sessions, in our school matches in the future.

“Once again we thank you for the money as we will continue to use the kits for matches coming up in the new season.”

The team also thanked Masterclass who

The said: “We had an absolutely amazing time in Spain and all of us wish we could go back and do it all over again. It was great being able to meet new friends who had the same interests as us.

The coaches were really good and made the sessions fun.”

The Rt Hon Patrick McLoughlin MP, Secretary of State for Transport, is today visiting the East Riding to mark the completion of highway works on the A164 and speak to users of the council’s Wheels to Work Scheme, in Goole, which was funded by the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF).

The £10 million A164 Humber Bridge to Beverley Route Improvement Scheme, to which the council contributed £2.3 million, began in spring 2012 and was designed to reduce congestion, particularly at peak intervals, and improve traffic flows for up to 35,000 vehicles using the road each day.

As well as the installation of a section of dual carriageway, between Willerby and Castle Hill, the council’s contractor, Jackson Civil Engineering, also reconfigured four roundabouts and constructed lengths of new footpath/cycleway.

To commemorate the occasion, Mr McLoughlin, Councillor Stephen Parnaby OBE, leader of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, and Adam Tuke, contracts director for Jackson Civil Engineering, will be planting a tree at the site.

In the afternoon, the Transport Secretary will be visiting Goole to view one of the schemes being funded by the £1.8 million the council successfully secured from the LSTF for the ‘Get Moving Goole’ project.

‘Get Moving Goole’ will reduce localised congestion, facilitate economic growth and reduce carbon emissions in the town, thus enhancing its prosperity and growth potential. The project comprises a package of measures, including travel plans, cycling infrastructure improvements and promotional initiatives, and personalised travel planning.

The funding has already been utilised to provide a new morning and evening town centre bus service, new off-road cycle lanes between Old Goole and Capitol Park and Goole and Hook, a real-time bus information screen, a new staff cycle parking compound at the hospital, sheltered cycle parking and a new footpath at the leisure centre, and improvements to the town’s subways to improve access to the railway station and the town centre. Work on the subways is expected to be completed in the summer.

LSTF funding is also being used to expand the council’s Wheels to Work Scheme into Goole, employing two new staff members and purchasing 15 new mopeds. The scheme provides mopeds for people living in rural areas, with limited transport options, to access education, training or employment.

Mr McLoughlin said: “Good transport links are crucial for getting to work, transporting goods and visiting friends and family.

“That is why we have given almost £8 million towards the vital A164 scheme which will relieve congestion on one of the East Riding’s busiest routes. In addition, the £1.8 million we are investing in transport to help improve access to employment opportunities in Goole will make a real difference to people looking for work in the area.

“Taken together these programmes show the Government’s commitment to improving people’s lives and giving our regional economies a real boost by making sure the infrastructure is there to help them deliver growth.”

Councillor Parnaby said: “The council has been very successful in securing Government funding to support investments in the East Riding’s transport infrastructure and will continue to seek funding wherever possible.

“Schemes, such as the A164 improvements, provide not only a timely boost for the local economy but also long term benefits for motorists and the travelling public, with reduced congestion and improved traffic flows.

“The LSTF money secured by the council is also making a real difference to people’s lives, in Goole, by helping them access employment, training and higher education opportunities.”

Adam Tuke of Jackson said: “Weather conditions were a real challenge throughout construction, but we are really proud to have delivered this scheme on behalf of East Riding, and we look forward to working with them again to deliver future projects.”

Work is due to start on a further DfT-funded scheme, the Beverley Integrated Transport Plan, in July, which will include the long-awaited and much-needed Beverley Southern Relief Road, and is anticipated to be complete by early 2015.

A local dog creche established with the help of the Princes Trust are offering free places to guide dogs, hearing dogs and assistance dogs.

The Paw Pad, Skerne Road, offers a variety of services including dog walking and microchipping.

They also run a coffee morning on Monday and Saturday from 10am to 11.30 for dogs and owners to mingle. For more information 01377 249473.

Bangalore... southern India’s entrepreneurial boom city where tradition and technology, ancient cultures and industrial conglomerates, urban grime and suburban grace rub along together amidst a teeming mass of humanity.

India’s third most populous city is a modern wonder, a newly industrialised metropolis where development has brought a new sense of vitality and confidence but also ushered in huge social and economic problems.

And in India, when ambition, crime, murky politics and the lust for land collide, the fall-out can be both disastrous... and dangerous.

The Hope Factory, Lavanya Sankaran’s exhilarating debut novel, takes us deep into the fast beating heart of her tumultuous home city to bring us this clever portrayal of two very different families coping with the growing pains of modern India.

And it’s a fascinating story told with beautifully crafted, multi-layered prose, an observant eye for the mundane detail of everyday life, some wickedly witty dialogue and genuine insight into what it means to live in such a vast, complex society.

Anand K. Murthy is the owner of Cauvery Auto, a car parts manufacturing company which was built painstakingly over the years through his own sweat and toil. He is rich, has married well, has two children and is considered to be one of Bangalore’s success stories.

As an Indian industrial pioneer, Anand has survived an unimaginably hostile world, not least the Indian government, ‘a strange, cavernous beast that lay hidden in grottoes and leapt out, tentacles, flailing, suckers greedy for bribes.’

And if he is to clinch a deal with a Japanese car manufacturer, which would transform his family’s lives and ease his ongoing financial struggles, he is going to need at least ten more acres of land, and finding land in an endless city of claustrophobic human habitation, ‘wishful architecture and denuded finances’ is like looking for gold dust.

Meanwhile Kamala, Anand’s family’s maid, exists at the other end of the social spectrum and perilously close to the edge of disaster. She and her clever, resourceful teenage son Narayan live in one room with a shared tap, bath and toilet, and own virtually nothing.

But both are ambitious, Kamala for her son’s future and Narayan to make money fast and easily. Their small hopes for self-betterment depend on the contentment of Anand’s wife Vidya, a selfish and capricious woman whose life is led through the ‘social arteries’ of her mobile phone.

And there are other complications in the lives of both Anand and Kamala. Narayan keeps bad company and Anand’s marriage is in trouble. Before long, their opposite worlds will collide in ways that are both unexpected and perilous...

The Hope Factory is more than just another story of a city and a country in the grip of massive change... it reveals how ordinary people face up to the challenges of a society in which many of its moral building blocks have disappeared, the gap between rich and poor has become a yawning chasm and where dreams of enrichment have become all-consuming.

Sankaran allows her modern morality tale to unfold with drama, humour, an irrepressible sense of irony and a subtle poignancy which moves and delights in equal measures.

But she also tells us loudly, clearly and with real affection that India is still a country where family life rules and where providing the best possible future for your children is the overriding ambition of parents whatever their social background.

A warm, revealing and entertaining debut.

(Tinder Press, hardback, £14.99)

Onesies were donned and over £250 raised by a team of charity shop staff in a week-long fund raiser.

The team at Dove House Hospice, Middle Street South, Driffield, are still collecting in sponsorship money.

Deborah Swales, at the shop, said: “It was good fun, though we had some funny looks.”

Pupils at a primary school enjoyed a day of fancy dress in which boys and girls swapped fashion tastes.

The Freaky Friday event, which is part of a series of fancy dress days organised by the school, saw boys dressing as girls and girls dressing as boys.

A total of **£XX** was raised by the school, which will be reinvested into facilities.

The theme of Freaky Fridays are kept secret from pupils until the last moment.

A spokesperson for Sledmere School said: “No one is forced to do it, but all the children had a great time. It was just a bit silly, and sometimes it is nice to do something silly.”

Humberside Police are investi gating two incidents of criminal damage believed to have the same perpetrator.

Around 2.15pm on Saturday 11 May a group of youths were seen dismantling a brick wall in the front garden of a property on Laundry Lane, Driffield.

One member of the group was also seen to throw a garden ornament into the road.

A Police spokeswoman said: “The owner of the property was woken up by a noise at the front of his property, they looked out of the window and saw a group of youths dismantling his front brick garden wall and throw one of his ornaments from the garden onto the road. The group then made off towards Bridge Street.

“A neighbour was also woken up by the youths and overheard one of them saying they were going to damage a vehicle. As the neighbour went into Bridge Street the group was moving away, the neighbour noticed that a vehicle had had its wing mirror broken off.

“The group dispersed some went back down Laundry Lane causing a commotion.”

If you have any information about this act of criminal damage please contact the police quoting crime reference 1973430.

Police are also investigating the damage of the vehicle on Bridge Street which they believe the same group are responsible for.

A Police spokeswoman added: “Between 2am and 3am on Saturday 11 May a light blue Audi was left parked, secure and in order, on Bridge Street which is a well lit residential road. Persons approached the vehicle and used what is believed to be physical force to smash off the passenger side wing mirror.

“It is believed the same group are responsible for both damages.”

If you have any information about the damage to this vehicle please contact the police quoting crime reference 1973469.

A male driver has been given a formal warning after being found to be in possession.

At around 8.40pm on Tuesday 30 April four male youths were seen by police, in a parked car on Lowthorpe Lane, Nafferton.

On approaching the car officers noticed strong smelling smoke coming from the vehicle which they suspected was drugs-related.

A police spokeswoman said: “The officers searched the vehicle and found a small amount of herbal substance in a blue plastic bag in the driver’s trouser pocket, this was later identified as cannabis.

“The male admitted the drugs were his, he was made aware he would be recorded as responsible for committing that crime and was issued with a formal warning for the Possession Of Controlled Drugs (Cannabis).”

If you see anything suspicious contact police on non-emergency number 101.

A morning of energetic fund raising generated over £500 for charity.

Zumba was on the cards for shoppers in Driffield on Saturday morning, as one enthusiastic instructor spent three hours teaching the dance-based exercise.

Kaleigh Sewell, who runs Zumba classes in Driffield, Nafferton and Wetwang, organised the fund raiser in aid of Cash for Kids and raised £512. The money raised will be match funded by Barclays.

The 22-year-old, of Middle Street South, said: “It was really hard work. It was harder than doing it on a wooden surface. After three hours on the concrete I thought my back was going to snap in half. But it was worth it.”

She said there will be other fund raisers in the future.

For more information on Kaleigh’s classes call 07817 359104.

To find out about Cash for Kids visit cashforkids.uk.com

Thousands of people turned out to enjoy the second annual vintage fair held by an air cadet squadron.

The Driffield 873 Air Cadet Squadron arranged the fair, which was attended by over 6,000 people and raised £6,000 for the squadron.

Held in Driffield Showground, on Bank Holiday Monday 6 May, the fair showcased a variety of attractions, including classic cars and vintage tractors.

Main organiser Angela Longoni-Sarr, who is chair of the civilian committee, said: “The air cadets offer local young people the opportunity to achieve their potential, improve their general employability and education.”

A portion of the money raised at the fair will go towards the GETS project in the Gambia. Money will also be used to enable activities to continue at the air cadets, and also for a minibus to be purchased for the group.

A York firm that fits solar panels has been prosecuted after an employee fell four metres through the fragile roof of a pig shed at a farm in Cranswick.

The worker, who does not want to be named, had been employed for just two weeks by Solar Fit PV Ltd and had no experience in solar panel installation.

He was on all fours cutting rails for the panels when he suddenly heard a crack and the roof gave way. The man landed on a layer of animal waste on the concrete below and escaped severe injury, suffering a radial fracture to his left elbow and bruising to his legs.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) on Thursday 9 May prosecuted Solar Fit PV Ltd. An investigation into the incident occurred at Rotsea Carr Farm in Cranswick on 23 July 2012.

York Magistrates’ Court heard that three days earlier Solar Fit had taken measurements and started the installation of 100 solar panels on the roofs of two large pig sheds.

On the morning of 23 July, the farm owner spoke to the firm’s director on site as he was unhappy with the way they had been working on the shed roof. He warned the two roofs were fragile and no work should take place without using crawl boards, which he made available.

HSE found Solar Fit took no action as a result of this advice and both the director and the inexperienced employee carried on working on the roof.

Solar Fit PV Ltd, of Fox Oak Park, Common Road, Dunnington, York, was fined a total of £6,000 and ordered to pay £6,585 in costs after admitting two breaches of the Work at Height Regulations 2005.

After the hearing, HSE Inspector Andy Denison said: “This worker was extremely fortunate not to have suffered more severe injuries in a fall of four metres. It could even have proved fatal.”

A FORMER computer-ink salesman accused of the murder of Full Sutton businessman Peter Battle in his rural cottage has elected to stand trial.

Mr Graham Richardson, 26, of Riverside View in Norton, made a 10-minute video appearance from Wakefield Prison at Hull Crown Court on Friday.

He pleaded not guilty as the charge of murdering Mr Battle was put to him.

Mr Battle, 56, an antiques dealer and trader on eBay, was found dead in face down in the living room of his bungalow in Full Sutton in January.

He had been dead for some time and had suffered multiple head and body injuries from a weapon.

Mr Richardson wore a grey sweatshirt and appeared via video camera link during a 10-minute hearing.

He also pleaded not guilty to one charge of theft of property to a value unknown at Mr Battle’s address between December 29, 2012 and January 28 this year.

Crown barrister Nicholas Lumbley, QC, set out the timetable for the case.

He said there would need to be a three-week trial.

Defence barrister Richard Simons said his client still had time to submit his defence statement.

Judge Michael Mettyear said the case was initially reserved for a High Court Judge and could possibly take place from July 15.

He said the venue would either be Sheffield Crown Court or Hull Crown Court.

Mr Richardson made no application for bail and was remanded in custody.

* A funeral service for Mr Battle is set to take place on Monday at the crematorium in York.

A team of enthusiastic amateur cyclists will undertake an 180 mile bike ride in aid of various charities.

Between Friday 24 May and Sunday 26 May the group will ride from Morecambe to Bridlington along the Way of the Roses cycle path.

Dave Pinder, who is cycling the trail for the Driffield Junior Football Club under 10’s teams, said: “The ride is aimed to raise awareness of the benefits of cycling and how it is a great way to exercise, no matter the age or ability, as we prove.”

This is the third long-haul bike ride the team have made, last year taking on the Southport to Hornsea trans pennine trail. To sponsor Dave contact 07979 501413

Humberside Police are investigating damage to a Driffield solicitor’s door.

Between the evening of Friday 26 April and the morning of Monday 29 April the newly repaired, wooden door of William’s Solicitors was damaged by an object similar to a key causing a horizontal deep scratch through the paintwork.

If you witnessed anyone damaging this property please inform the police, crime reference 1971136.

The police and crime commissioner for Humberside has moved to warn poachers of the consequences for their actions.

While visiting Driffield on Thursday 9 May, Matthew Grove spoke about clamping down on rural crime, in particular with the coming of summer.

He said: “Rural crime is an absolute priority for me. I am a life long rural dweller, I live in a small village myself and I understand the damage that poaching does and rural crime does.

“Poaching is actually the engine room of rural crime as much of the things that are stolen are identified by poachers while they’re out doing what they do.

“We must drive poaching out of our area. I am very keen to see that we start punishing poachers using deterrents that are effective.

“It’s time we took their dogs off them its their dogs that they value. If we confiscate them I think it will send out the message loudly and clearly to the poachers coming into this area: don’t bother coming go elsewhere if you come here you will lose your dogs.”

Whilst visiting Driffield Mr Grove spoke to members of Pub Watch, a scheme upheld by pub landlords which aims to promote a safe social drinking environment.

“I am really impressed with what they are doing and the effort they are going to targets problematic people who are making our towns less pleasant places to be,” said Mr Grove.

PC Steve Wilson, of Driffield Police, said: “I think it has given the chance for some of the local community to put their views and concerns across to the commissioner. It has been beneficial.”

Mr Grove visited the town as part of a tour around all neighbourhood policing areas in the Humberside area, and spent the day speaking to local residents, business owners and the Driffield Police team. He also spent time with Driffield Town Council.

To watch a video of Mr Grove speaking about targeting rural crime visit www.driffieldtoday.co.uk

A funeral service was held at the East Riding Crematorium, Octon on Wednesday, May 8 for Mr Robert Mark Eric Barr (formerly of New Road,Driffield), who died peacefully in Northfield Manor Nursing Home on April 25.

He was aged 75.

The service was conducted by the Rev Malcolm Exley.

Robert was born in Driffield and attended Driffield School. After leaving school he trained as a joiner and cabinet maker. He spent a short time in the Air Force were he got married and had three children. He enjoyed walking and renovating antiques.

He spent several years of his life living at Wyton Abbey Care Centre where he enjoyed the wildlife and taking daily walks.

The last seven months he spent in Northfield manor Nursing Home.

Family mourners: Stefan Barr & Carly Bird (son & partner), Jane & Stephen Calvert (daughter & son in law) also rep Rosemary Barr & Stephen Harrison (daughter & partner), June & Roger Mason (niece & husband), Cynthia & Richard Sharp (niece & husband) also rep Linda Cox, Angela Buckle, Pam Silversides & Tina Hall (nieces), Mrs Anna Mack (niece) also rep the late Chris Barr & family, Mr Chris Blyth (nephew) also rep the Blyth family from Nottingham,

Others present: Susan Bird, Jim Barron, Phil Barron rep Simon Barron, David Shields, Mr & Mrs Bill W Stabler, Mrs Jane Shipley, Mr G A Wren, Deborah & Clive Calvert rep Jaime, Emilie, Henry & Alice Calvert, Gill & Cedric Calvert rep Melanie & Julian Harrison, Thomas Croft, Janine Webster & Tracey McNellis rep Northfield Manor, Christine Hunt, Cynthia Greatorex, Gwen Draper.

A funeral service was held at the East Riding Crematorium, Octon on Thursday, May 9 for Steven William Proudlock of Garton on the Wolds who died in St James Hospital, Leeds on April 29. He was 35.

The service was conducted by Roger Witts.

Steven was born in Beverley Westwood in 1977. Steven had cystic fibrosis and spent a lot of his childhood in and out of hospital. He had a liver transplant at St James Hospital in Leeds when he was twelve years old.

He went to school in Driffield, first primary and then secondary school. He was a very clever boy and was particularly good with numbers and mechanical things. After he left school he worked at Britax in the offices for a while and then for Lada at Bridlington and at the holiday camp at Barmston where he worked as an administrator and receptionist. He enjoyed driving and passed his test when he was in his teens. One of his favourite jobs was working in the Harbour Lights in Bridlington where he could meet up with friends for a drink and a chat.

He enjoyed going on holiday and him and mum Shirley would set off together and explore Europe. In 2007 they went to New York, they took a helicopter ride over the city and went to the top of the Empire State Building and did many things which became very precious memories for them both. Steven and Shirley shared many interests and tickets for Dancing on Ice and a Madonna concert with the VIP treatment was a treat for them both.

He did his best to live as normally as possible and for a while shared a house with a friend in Leeds and enjoyed a social life but as his illness began to get the better of him he had to return to Garton to live with his mum and dad and Caspar the Jack Russell who adored him.

Steven was both a gentle man and a gentleman, he was a good son, brother, cousin and friend, he loved his family very much and will be greatly missed by them all.

Family mourners: Shirley & Bill Proudlock (mum & dad), Lee Proudlock (brother).

Others present: Dave Medd, Mr & Mrs P Boddy, Dorothy Boddy, Lila & Malcolm Bromley rep Richard & Kim Bromley, Alan & Janet Proudlock, Ian & Stacey Proudlock, Jo Proudlock, Terry Hoggarth rep Catherine & Claire Hoggarth, Darren & Cath Proudlock, Gill White, Andrew White, Lorna Brook, Terry Gray, David Holmes, Richard & Elaine Johnson, Andy & Norma Holmes, Faye Proudlock rep Ann Proudlock, Vicky Grainger & Andy Harland, Lucy Howden, Robert Holmes, Lee Hayers, Terry Bromley, Danielle Bromley, Emma Grabham, Karlene Hogg, Rose & Les Kent, Graham Proudlock, Chrissie Ward, Scott Proudlock, Andrew Potter rep Robert Potter, Jamie Proudlock & Amy Bradley, Nerys Mitchell, Emma Mann, Esther Howard, Rebecca Bretherton, Rob Shaw, Krysia Moore, Nicci Goddard, Jodie Proudlock, Richard Briggs, Andrew Anderson (cousin) Michelle Anderson (cousin), Mark & Linda Anderson (cousins), Andy Anderson (uncle), Jayne Kelly rep Stephen Kelly, Dean & Dawn Ireland, Keith Baker, Tracey Meredith Baker, Peter & Jennifer Baker (uncle & aunt), Marguerite Abbott (aunt), Stuart & Mandy Crompton, Karen Dansworth, Julie Dandy, Julie Johnson, Emma McPartling.

A funeral service was held at the Methodist Church, Nafferton on Tuesday, May 7 for Mr William Gilbert (Gil) Appleby of Sycamore Close, Nafferton who died in hospital on April 25. He was 90.

The service was conducted by the Rev Robert Amos and the organist was Sarah Sellar.

Gil, as he was always known as, was born in 1922 in Nafferton to George & Jemima Appleby. The second of three boys and with six sisters he enjoyed a very happy family childhood.

On leaving school he worked at Thirsk’s Mill, then at the age of 18 he was called up to join the Coldstream Guards and became a Guardsman, he served throughout the war. He saw conflict in Holland, Belgium,France and Germany, liberating many cities on the way. Brussells was one he was most proud of, to be one of the first tanks to enter the city. Being asked by the locals ‘Is you English’, having said yes it started much happiness and celebrations. Gil was awarded three medals for his service and was demobbed in 1946 with an unblemished record. A letter from his commanding Officer spoke of his bravery and loyalty to his fellow guardsmen, many of them losing their lives and he rarely spoke of these sad times.

In 1946 after joining Civvy Street again, he worked at the Landlimes Quarry at the top of Nafferton Wold, driving spreader lorries treating farmland all over the East Riding. He continued to be employed there for a further 40 years retiring in the mid eighties.

He moved from the family home in Coppergate in 1987 to Sycamore Close just round the corner, he enjoyed his garden and spent many happy times working in his greenhouse.

Gil loved sport, he played cricket and bowls for Nafferton, he was also a good darts player. He also enjoyed encouraging his nephews and nieces and their parents in playing cricket on the sands at Auburn. He also enjoyed horse racing and was familiar with all the flat courses in Yorkshire which he attended with his sisters and brothers in law.

For the last six years he was helped enormously to stay independent in his home by Pete and Enid who provided all his meals and did his shopping, his brother in law Les took over when Pete & Enid went on holiday. This tremendous help enabled him to enjoy and live the life he wanted in his own home. Due to ill health he had spent the last few months in Woodlands.

Although a bachelor all his life he always supported his many nieces and nephews and always took an interest in their lives.

He will be greatly missed.

Family mourners: Les Hughes (brother in law unable to attend), Bunty Appleby (sister in law), Peter Rodger (nephew) rep Kay, Jim & Helen Jepson (niece & family in France), Wendy Jameson (niece) rep Christopher & Antony Jameson (great nephews), Geoff & Joan Appleby (nephew & wife), David & Gillian Johnson (nephew & wife) rep Richard & Elaine Johnson (great nephew & wife), Sue & Brian Mellonby (niece & husband) rep Paul Mellonby (great nephew), John Lawton rep Lyn Atkin (niece & partner), Anthony Rodger rep Jonathan Rodger (great nephews), Darren & Mark Appleby (great nephews), Jane Sharp rep Steve Sharp (great niece & husband), Andrew & Meryen Jepson (great nephew & wife), Alan Child rep Liz Smith, Dennis & Maureen Carr (cousin & wife) rep Mildred Arnold..

Others present: Philip Barron rep Simon Barron, Cath Kitching rep Ian, Audrey Jackson, Christine Watson rep Jean Merritt, Heather Winn rep Gerald, Mavis Hunsley, Harold & Audrey Raines, Mrs Ruth Hammond, Mrs M Hammond rep Mr P Hammond, Steve Wright, Esther Ralph, Florence Jennison, Philip Walker, John Ellis, Mr & Mrs John Dean, Margaret Johnson, Anne Pudsey, Stephen Burdass, George Dixon rep Bernard Crosier & Graham Massey.

Almost £100 was raised at a plant sale organised by Driffield in Bloom to fund the town’s summer planting.

The sale took place on Saturday 11 May in the Gravel Garden next to Driffield Railway Station.

Having been hailed a great success by the organisers, the sale raised £97 to fund Driffield in Bloom’s summer planting.

Shirley Franklin from Driffield in Bloom has thanked all those who attended the plant sale on behalf of the group.

Mrs Franklin said: “We had a steady stream of people and it was nice to talk to them about the plants and gardening.

“Without the support and enthusiasm of these people we wouldn’t be able to carry on with what we do because we are all volunteers and it is very expensive to make the town look lovely.”