Despite rain and wind, the Saturday morning beginners group had a chance to come into the clubhouse and learn about the rules and etiquette of the game with Pro Kenton Wright.

Having a basic knowledge of the procedure if a golf ball lands out of bounds or in a hazard and understanding the etiquette are important parts of developing into an established player.

The group enjoyed the chance to learn how to become confident in their ability to embrace most situations.

Pictured are a selection of the learned students.

For more information regarding further beginners’ courses please contact Kenton at Driffield Golf Club on 01377 253583 email kenton.pga@btconnect.com or visit www.driffieldgolfclub.co.uk

There is an inter-continental flavour to some new and exciting books from two small publishers who delight in bringing children some offbeat treats.

From the magical adventures of a French-style Harry Potter series to a tiny half-Japanese and half-Italian girl with big, bold ideas, there are stories to whisk us away to parallel worlds or into the mind of a fun and feisty youngster.

Age 8 plus:

Oksa Pollock: The Forest of Lost Souls by Anne Plichota and Cendrine Wolf

Oh là là, what have we here? Meet Oska Pollock, schoolgirl extraordinaire and the eponymous star of an epic French fantasy series which has become a global publishing phenomenon.

Oksa’s amazing and fantastical adventures, translated by Sue Rose, have been brought to an English-speaking audience by Pushkin Children’s Books which specialises in tales from different languages and cultures.

They believe firmly that children love to hear about monsters and heroes, romance and death, disaster and rescue, from every place and time. From picture books and adventure stories to fairy tales and classics, and from 50-year-old bestsellers to current huge successes abroad, the books on the Pushkin Children’s list reflect the very best stories from around the world.

The Forest of Lost Souls is the second instalment of Anne Plichota and Cendrine Wolf’s high-octane and atmospheric series and follows hot on the tail of The Last Hope which introduced us to Oksa Pollock and is now out in paperback from Pushkin at £7.99.

Oska thought she was a normal 13-year-old girl from Paris about to start a new school and life in London until she discovered she could produce fire from her hands, move objects with her mind and even fly.

The truth was that her family fled Edefia, their magical, hidden home years ago, and Oksa is their queen, a role that throws her into wilder adventures than she could ever have imagined.

St Proximus School pupil Oksa has made some pretty incredible discoveries in the last few months and if that wasn’t enough to cope with, her mother is still desperately ill after being attacked by Edefia’s unscrupulous enemies.

But with the battle between her followers, known as the Runaways, and the evil Orthon McGraw behind them, Oksa is determined to forget the burden handed down to her and enjoy the holidays with her best friend Gus Bellanger.

Unfortunately, the excitement is short lived. Gus has vanished without a trace which can mean only one thing. Orthon may be dead but the Felons will not stop until Oksa, the key to Edefia, is within their grasp.

This time Gus is their victim. He is trapped in a strange, parallel world and Oksa will not rest until he is safe. Accompanied by her fellow Runaways, including the moody and mysterious Tugdual, Oksa and her friends face countless dangers from horrific and deadly creatures.

And even if Oksa and her group make it through the wastelands and the monsters, there are greater threats to face – betrayal, grief, and the end of the world itself. And it’s only just beginning…

Oska’s enchanting and death-defying missions, combined with an imaginative narrative revealing strange and mystical universes and a storyline that gets darker with each book, ensure a thrilling adventure for children looking for a worthy successor to Harry Potter.

Heart-stopping danger, fast-paced action and some of the quirkiest and scariest characters you could hope to meet will leave young readers yearning for more.

And they won’t have long to wait as the third book in the series, The Heart of Two Worlds, is coming soon.

(Pushkin Children’s Books, hardback, £12.99)

Age 7 plus:

Dream On, Amber by Emma Shevah

Say hello to another new kid on the block… Ambra Alessandra Leola Kimiko Miyamoto. But you can call her Amber, a name her friends find easier to say and which she finds less embarrassing.

She has this ‘mad’ name because she’s half-Italian and half-Japanese and it’s not easy to be half this and half that, especially when the two halves are so completely different.

Lovable Amber is one of the stars of a new collection from the Chicken House, a small but highly original children’s book publishing company with an enthusiasm for fiction suitable for children of all sizes, shapes and colours.

Their imaginative and adventurous books are finding huge popularity with children, parents, teachers and librarians around the world.

In Dream On, Amber, we find the 11-year-old preparing to start a new school in South London and worried that her caveman phone will do her street cred no favours.

But the hardest thing about being Amber is that a big part of her is missing… her dad. He was a Japanese computer science student and he met her Italian mum at university but he left when Amber was six years old and her sister Bella was one. Now it feels like there’s a massive black hole. But nothing’s perfect in this life, or so her mum keeps telling her.

And if he isn’t coming back, she’ll have to find a way to make it up to Bella who is always writing letters to their absent dad. And Amber has a big imagination and some genius ideas…

Author Emma Shevah is herself half-Irish and half-Thai – in fact her great-great-great grandfather was King Rama I in exotic Thailand – but she spends a far more prosaic life writing, teaching and looking after her four children in London.

With its touching innocence, bittersweet comedy and gregarious characters, her story of Amber will touch a nerve with any child who has felt isolated or marginalised by family circumstances.

But there is also plenty of fun and excitement as Amber carves out a niche for herself at her new school and learns that things aren’t always what they seem to be at home.

A charming and reassuring story for children everywhere.

(Chicken House, paperback, £6.99)

Hull stars Luke Campbell MBE and Tommy Coyle have vowed to keep winning and bringing big-time boxing to Hull as they prepare for action tomorrow at the sold-out Hull Ice Arena, live on Sky Sports.

Hull stars Luke Campbell MBE and Tommy Coyle have vowed to keep winning and bringing big-time boxing to Hull as they prepare for action tomorrow at the sold-out Hull Ice Arena, live on Sky Sports.

Campbell boxes on home turf for the third time as he moves up to eight rounds against Scott Moises in his fifth professional fight. The Olympic Gold medal hero last boxed on the undercard of Carl Froch’s epic World Super Middleweight title clash with George Groves in Manchester In November and has also appeared at The O2 in London when Team GB pal Anthony Joshua MBE made his debut.

The 26 year old is set to appear on the undercard of the Froch vs. Groves rematch in the summer and on April 19 back at the Phones 4u Arena in Manchester, and while Campbell enjoys entertaining fans all over the country, he wants his big nights to be staged in his beloved Hull.

“Every fighter’s dream is fighting in the bright lights of Las Vegas for a World title, but I would have to say mine is filling the KC Stadium one day and boxing for a World title in Hull,” said Campbell.

“That’s the great thing about this city, the people are so friendly and it’ll always be home for me. The people here have been so good to me. They back me 100 per cent and have nothing but good things to say. They turn out in force when we have boxing here which is great for the future for not just me but all the Hull lads on the bill.

“During the Olympics Anthony Ogogo and I said ‘what happens if we win Gold?’ We can retire, we can do this, we can do that - and then from having time out of the sport, I realised how much I loved it and that I had the burning desire to achieve something big in boxing, I simply had to get back into and turn pro and I know it’s the right decision.

“We’ll soon see what the hype is about with me when I am in these bigger fights. That will show everyone what I am made of. I am into an eight-rounder on Saturday and that’s the first step, I want to remain unbeaten this year, putting bums on seats and exciting the fans when I am fighting.”

Campbell’s Hull pal Coyle defends his IBF International Lightweight title against Daniel Brizuela and the 24 year old echoed the desire for more big title fights in the city.

“I have a fantastic following, I am very, very lucky,” said Coyle. “When I step out in Hull the hairs on the back of my neck stand up; it is an awesome feeling and I can’t wait for on Saturday. Like Luke my dream is to fight at the KC – that is the ultimate for me.

“When I go and watch Hull City FC I imagine fighting in the semi-circle of that pitch – it would be an incredible feeling and an incredible achievement to get a fight there.”

Campbell and Coyle star in a great night of action in Hull, as the simmering rivalry between British Light Welterweight champion Darren Hamilton and challenger Curtis Woodhouse comes to the boil and unbeaten Super Bantamweights Gavin McDonnell and Leigh Wood face-off for the vacant British title.

A trio of local prospects are in action in the form of Zak Collins, Joel Haigh and Charlie Payton, and there are four-rounders for Manchester’s Hosea Burton and New Malden’s Lerrone Richards and Liverpool Super Middleweight Tony Dodson, who is aiming to secure a Commonwealth title shot against Rocky Fielding on March 15.

Driffield boxer Curtis Woodhouse became the town and area’s first-ever British Title holder after a stunning points win over Darren Hamilton in Hull last night.

The new British light-welterweight holder was delighted, but also emotional in interview when confirming his retirement.

The 33-year-old former Sheffield United, Birmingham and Hull City midfielder won following a split decision at the city’s ice arena.

In his changing rooms it was a media scrum to get a word with the new champ, but as always Curtis had time for everyone and the Driffield Times & Post who have followed him everywhere.

Curtis said: “I want to bow out as a champion.

“I promised my dad before he died I would win him a British title, and I have done that. I said I wouldn’t stop until I do, and now I have achieved that promise.

“To have this belt is an amazing feeling.”

Curtis, who will be in Driffield’s Falcon pub today, which is run by his mother Sue, will be celebrating in style and looking forward to buying his supporters a drink, adding: “There is a rumour going around that I had a £5,000 bet on myself to win the British title at 50-1. I can neither confirm or deny these rumours but the drinks are on me.”

It was an excellent fight, but it was a top night of boxing with Hull fighters Luke Campbell and Tommy Coyle both winning.

Full story, pictures and reaction to Curtis’ title win in Thursday’s Driffield Times & Post.

Clear the diary and cancel the papers… the latest gripping instalment of M. R. Hall’s Coroner Jenny Cooper crime series won’t leave time for anything until the last page has turned.

The Burning is the sixth book in this outstanding and intelligent series which stars a coroner with a conscience, a fallible but deeply committed West Country woman whose innate humanity makes her doggedly determined to always seek out the truth, whatever the cost.

Cooper’s eclectic mix of cases probe the darker, and sometimes corrupt, side of English life whilst delivering fascinating, page-turning mysteries.

But perhaps the greatest mystery is why ex-criminal barrister Hall’s clever, compelling stories have not yet been snapped up for prime time television with their dramatic backdrop, top class characterisation and tantalising plotlines.

It’s a freezing cold December day and Severn Vale District Coroner Jenny Cooper is mulling over her complicated personal life – her ex-RAF pilot boyfriend Michael is struggling to cope with combat stress and her student son Ross is giving her the cold shoulder.

It seems like her ‘cruel destiny’ is to be surrounded by men who can’t cope with their feelings so it is with some relief that she is called out on a new case in the village of Blackstone Ley.

It is the scene of a dreadful tragedy; a house has burned to the ground with three members of a family inside. It appears that Ed Morgan has started the blaze and then shot himself and his teenage two stepdaughters.

The police want to close the investigation as they feel certain that the fire was started by Morgan in a fit of jealous rage over his partner Kelly Hart. But the couple’s three-year-old son is still missing and Morgan had left a message for Kelly, telling her that she would never find him.

As Jenny prepares the inquest, she finds herself troubled by the official version of events. What could have provoked Morgan’s murderous rampage and were other village residents involved?

There is also the possibility that Morgan could have been connected to the mysterious abduction of a neighbour’s four-year-old daughter ten years ago. Jenny soon becomes entangled in another perplexing inquiry but can she unearth Blackstone Ley’s secrets before it’s too late?

The Burning is M.R. Hall’s most triumphant project yet… an addictive whodunit brimming with fast-paced action and his now trademark impeccable research and ingenious plotting.

As the principal characters – not least Jenny’s irrepressible Coroner’s Officer Alison – develop with each book, the series is now in full, glorious flight.

And it’s never too late to hitch a ride…

(Mantle, hardback, £16.99)

Hutton Cranswick

SRA QUIZ NIGHTS

The next Quiz will be held tomorrow, Friday 21 February at 7.30pm, cost £3 per person. Yvonne will be doing one of her special buffets and will need to know numbers by later TODAY Thursday for the catering.  Please Tel Mike (271047) or Sue (270247) if you would like to attend. Perhaps we will beat the record attending the Quiz Night  which is presently held by January  2014 when 51 people enjoyed the evening.

BRIDGE DAY

A Bridge Day including cooked lunch will take place on Thursday 27 March in the WI Hall on Main Street. Places are limited but some still available, costing £16 per person for the day. Telephone Linda on 07802284374 if you would like to book a place or a table. Proceeds for St Peter’s Church funds.

LINK

The next LINK service at St Peter’s Church is TONIGHT Thursday 20 February at 7pm. The joint Anglican/Methodist event will be led by Methodist Minister, the Rev Robert Amos, with music by The Revelation. All welcome for this hour of modern worship, refreshments will be served at the close.

WOMEN’S WORLD DAY OF PRAYER – 7 MARCH

A joint service between the Methodist and Anglican congregations will be held at St Peter’s Church on Friday 7 March at 2pm, celebrating the Women’s World Day of Prayer. The speaker will be Caroline Lees, and members of both congregations will take part in the service which has been devised by the Christian women of Egypt, entitled ’Streams in the Desert’. The service will last for approximately one hour, and light refreshments will be served afterwards. Everyone very welcome.

WATTON

‘THE LISSETT MEMORIAL’

On Friday 14 March Peter Naylor of Beverley will be at St Mary’s Church, Watton at 7pm for 7.30pm to talk about his design, the wonderful Lissett Memorial, made to commemorate 158 Squadron Bomber Unit from the Second World War.

Tickets £7.50 inc. Wine & Nibbles; Raffle. Contact tel 01377 270228, proceeds for Church funds.

WI February Meeting

The monthly meeting took place in the WI Hall in Hutton Cranswick on Tuesday 11 February at 7.15 pm.

This was the Annual General Meeting when members elected a new President for the following year. The new President will be Jenny Brock who will take over from Lyn Neill.

Lyn Neill has been the President for the last four years and has done a brilliant job during that time. The members presented her with a bouquet of flowers in appreciation of all her hard work and thanked her for her support over the years. A very popular and valuable member of the WI, Lyn will still be an active member of the Committee.

The Secretary told the group about upcoming events which include an Easter Cookery Course, Basket Making for Beginners, Gliding at Pocklington, a walk around Hull City Centre with historian Paul Schofield and a visit to Bombay Stores in Bradford.

The annual meal will take place at The Triton in Sledmere on 16 April.

A Walking Group is planned and details of walking the Wolds Way in stages are being put together plus additional 5 mile circular walks. It is hoped this will start in the next month or so. Details will follow should anyone wish to join.

The Bridge Club is held in the WI Hall every Wednesday afternoon from 1.30-3.30 pm where the rudiments of bridge are taught. New members are very welcome so if you are interested, please come along on the day. No experience is necessary.

The book club will be held on 13 March at 7.30pm – new members welcome.

The coffee stop will be held on 28 February at 10.30am at Hutton Cranswick Garden Centre.

The next meeting will be held on Tuesday 11 March at 7.15 pm. The speaker will be Richard Hampshire, Warden of Tophill Low.

Interested in joining us?

We are an extremely friendly and welcoming group and would love to see new and past members.

By joining the WI you are introduced to a diverse range of events and activities. Membership enables you to sample singing in a choir, dropping in to the book club or the coffee stop for a catch up, going on group walks or cycle trips, trying new crafts, visiting places of interest, joining group lunches and evening meals. Not to mention meeting new people and making friends.

If you would like more information, please contact: Jenny Brock (01377 271481) or Gwynneth Richardson (01377 270248).

Nafferton

W.I.

Several stalwart members (and the speaker) braved the gales of Wednesday, February 12 for their usual monthly meeting.

Despite being wet, cold, and windswept they set to, organising everything for the evening with enthusiasm.

That lasted until around 7.15pm when all the lights went out - apparently all the village was now without power.

Concerned husbands and partners soon appeared with torches and after consultation Vice-President Pat Birch (deputising for President Heather Winn, sunning herself in Madeira !) took the decision to cancel the meeting. Hopefully, we will be able to hear about ‘Bags for Malawi’ at a later date.

Everyone thankfully made their way home through the storm and the dark. Given a lift by a kind member and her husband I was escorted down my drive, she lighting my way with her torch. I put my key in the lock - and the lights went on!

With heating and light restored, some power-cut comfort food (hot chocolate and crumpets - try it!) went a long way towards soothing the disappointment and upheaval.

We look forward to our next meeting being a little less traumatic.

langtoft

CHURCH SERVICES IN THE BENEFICE

Sunday 23 February. 2nd Sunday before Lent. 9.30am The Eucharist at All Saints, Thwing, with President and Preacher Rev’d Jacki Tonkin. 11am The Eucharist at St Peter’s, Langtoft, with President and Preacher Rev’d Jacki Tonkin. 6.30pm Deanery Confirmation Service at St Andrew’s, Middleton-on-the-Wolds, with the Archbishop of York Reverend John Sentamu.

PIG AND POULTRY BINGO

Another session of the ever popular Pig and Poultry Bingo will be held on Thursday 27 February. Make your way along to the Bowls Club Pavilion at 7.30pm and you will receive a very warm welcome plus the chance of going home with the bacon. Bingo sessions are held on the last Thursday of each month out of the Bowling Season. Details from the Sports Club Secretary, Ray Raines, on 01377 267605.

LANGTOFT ART GROUP

Langtoft Art group is open to all. If you have never painted a picture but would like to, do go along and try. All help each other and enjoy a cup of tea, a chat, and lots of fun. The Art Club meets fortnightly on Tuesdays from 10am-12noon in the Bowls Club Pavilion. The first meeting after the Christmas break will be on Tuesday 4th March. For further info ring Rita on 01377 267482.

MORNING AND EVENING PRAYER

Morning Prayer is said each Tuesday at 9am in St Peter’s, Langtoft, and Rev’d Jacki is happy to offer a coffee and a chat after this brief service. Evening Prayer is said each Tuesday at 4pm in All Saints, Thwing, and all are welcome to go along and join in this reflective service of thanksgiving.

DIARY DATES

Coffee Morning TODAY (Thursday 20 February) from 9.30am to 11am in the Church Rooms, Church Lane, next to the school.

Barmston

monthly service

The monthly Service at Fraisthorpe Church will be a Holy Communion led by Rev. Chris McCarthy at 9.30am.

The Barmston Methodist Chapel Service will be conducted by Mrs Shirley Hardwick at 10.30am.

All Saints’ Church will hold an Evening Praise at 6.00pm.

A warm welcome awaits you to attend.

whist drive

The prize winners at the weekly Military Whist Drive on Friday evening were: 1st Mrs Peacock, Mrs Lawrence, Mr Hoare, Mr Simpson. 2nd Mr Ashton, Mr Smith, Mrs Styles, Mrs Atkin.

Mrs Lawrence and Mrs Heslington served supper.

Mr Wiles was the M.C. in aid on the Village Hall.

kilham

Kilham WI

Judy Wilson welcomed everyone to the meeting, birthday gifts were presented to Madge and Sheila. We were told about the WI anniversary baton which will be coming to Kilham in May. The WI flower arranging club meets at the village hall on Thursday 27 February at 1.30pm. The informal class is open to anyone who would like to come. Our walking group will meet on Tuesday 18 March and also on Wednesday 16 April, led by Anne and we are going to the snowdrop walk at Burton Agnes Thursday 20 February. The secretary Val Parton took names for the Fashion Show at Skipsea, the Band concert at Driffield and the county trip to the Bombay Stores in Bradford. Judy introduced Mr Richard Rawson who was the question master for the 1st round of the WI quiz. It was a close finish for the 5 teams and Mr Rawson was thanked for running the quiz. The next meeting of the WI will be on Tuesday March 11th when Mr Nick Burman will talk about Aboriginal Culture, all welcome.

Kilham Post Office

The Post Office is open in Kilham Village Hall meeting room on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday afternoons from 1pm to 4pm. All the usual facilities are available including vehicle licensing.

One of the North West’s most popular storytellers returns with a gritty, gripping tale of love, loss and war.

With 34 enchanting novels to her name, Lyn Andrews is the undisputed queen of the Merseyside saga. Her warm and compelling stories featuring the struggles and hardships faced by working class communities over the last century have made her one of the UK’s best-selling authors.

Liverpool Angels sweeps us away to the bloody and brutal maelstrom of the Great War as two young cousins, eager to do their bit, enrol as volunteer nurses and learn the harsh realities of life and death on the Western front.

The girls’ journey from the back streets of Liverpool to the killing fields of France is an epic story told with Andrews’ innate compassion, keen eye and warm heart.

Born in the spring of 1898, little Mae Strickland was only a few days old when her mother died from childbed fever. Her devastated father John, a stoker on the steamships that sail in and out of Liverpool Docks, leaves her in the care of her Aunt Maggie while he is at sea.

Kind-hearted Maggie, who has been deserted by her feckless husband, raises Mae together with her own children, Eddie and Alice, and the girls become like sisters.

In spite of Mae’s unhappy start, life feels full of promise. John is ambitious for his only child and determined that she will take a shorthand and typing course rather than finding demeaning work in shops or factories.

But, as the First World War looms, everything changes. While the local men, including Eddie and his circle of friends, leave to fight, Mae and Alice decide to train as field nurses.

As they cross the Channel to the front line in the wake of a devastating family tragedy, nothing can prepare them for what lies ahead… long hours, Spartan conditions and men suffering from the effects of terrible wounds and chronic illness.

Yet there is solace to be found amidst the wreckage of war and for both young women, romance is on the horizon. But it will take great courage for Mae and Alice to follow their hearts… and there is no certainty that love will win out in the end.

Liverpool Angels is a poignant and fast-paced adventure woven around the tight-knit Merseyside communities which are the lifeblood of Andrews’ earthy, passionate books.

Blending romance and drama, hardship and happiness, family and foe, this is a vivid wartime saga written with all the charm, spirit and passion of a born storyteller.

(Headline, hardback, £14.99)

The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) is calling on the government to address what it sees as a major public health risk posed by the dramatic increase in tattooing and body piercing.

It has warned that the inability of local authorities to insist that tattooists and piercers undergo accredited training is putting the public at risk.

Concerns centre on the ease with which skin infection and blood-borne diseases can be spread through poor practice. In particular diseases such as Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Hepatitis D and HIV can all be transmitted through unhygienic practice and an unclean working environment.

CIEH principal policy officer, Ian Gray, said: ‘We have been telling successive governments of the need for proper training and qualifications in this area for some 20 years. Putting things right now will require nothing less than a complete overhaul of the existing controls.’

Local authorities are currently using existing licensing and registration powers as well as adopted bylaws to stem the worst practices, but increasing numbers of tattooists and piercers, colloquially known as “scratchers”, are operating outside of these controls. In reality this can often mean that local authority officers can only take action once things go wrong.

The CIEH is calling for local authority regulators to be given better powers to stem poor practice and to make it a requirement that practitioners are given adequate training, particularly in infection control.

Ian Gray continued: ‘In terms of infection control there is little difference between a doctor and nurse carrying out a medical procedure and a tattooist or body piercer injecting or cutting your skin in order to insert dyes and body jewelry.”

The CIEH has criticised the government for missing a golden opportunity to introduce public health controls on non-surgical cosmetic procedures in its response to the Keogh Review of the Regulation of Cosmetic Interventions.

While the Department of Health has agreed to introduce controls on cosmetic procedures carried out by doctors, nurses and beauticians it has chosen to ignore the risks posed by tattooing and body piercing.

Ian Gray concluded: ‘Just like other cosmetic procedures, tattooing and body piercing can cause serious harm when they go wrong - not only infection, but disfigurement and even disablement. It is time for the government to accept that standards and accredited training are needed for all non-surgical cosmetic procedures.’

The CIEH has arranged an event in Parliament through its environmental health associated parliamentary group led by CIEH vice president Joan Walley on 4 March to lobby MPs on the risks to health posed by the existing lack of controls.

The CIEH has also responded to a Health Education England consultation on non-surgical interventions calling for the introduction of accredited training for tattooists and body piercers.

In August the CIEH published the Tattooing and Body Piercing Guidance Toolkit a web-based toolkit available to regulators and practitioners providing evidence based standards and a wealth of advice and support to help raise standards in the industry.

Despite extensive action to combat the peril of flooding in Driffield and the surrounding villages, statistics released this week show that 1,468 homes remain at risk across East Yorkshire - 152 of those significantly at risk.

This compares with a whopping 11,637 homes at risk across the Beverley and Holderness region - 2,154 of those significantly.

Last year, Burton Fleming, Kilham and Kelleythorpe were all deluged by water in the wake of prolonged periods of heavy rain - and the after effects are still being discussed today.

Latest analysis of Environment Agency data was released by Friends of the Earth and showed there are 306,465 homes at flood risk in Yorkshire and the Humber as a whole - with 44525 homes judged by the Environment Agency to be at significant risk.

Nationally, more than 6,000 homes have been affected by the winter floods this year. However, the figures show there is a much larger number of properties in the UK that could face flooding in future.

Friends of the Earth believe climate change is set to make flooding more widespread and the Government’s own Climate Change Risk Assessment estimates that almost one million UK homes could be at significant flood risk by the 2020s, up from the 370,000 currently at significant risk nationwide. Yet the Government is spending £500 million less on flood defences than is required to keep pace with climate change, according to its own advisors, while cutting spending on energy efficiency and bringing uncertainty to renewable energy projects.

Friends of the Earth Yorkshire and Humber Campaigner, Simon Bowens, said: “Flooding is devastating for anyone that is affected by it and as a country we must do much more to prepare for the impacts of climate change. Without proper investment in flood defences, hundreds of thousands more homes could be put at risk of flooding.

“Prevention is better than cure, so it’s also vital that the Government redouble efforts to stop climate change becoming worse.

“We are asking the region’s MPs to support the call for flood defences in line with the risks posed by climate change, and for more investment to make homes energy efficient, switch to renewable energy and get off climate-changing and polluting fossil fuels.”

MPs’ reactions from across the region:

Hull North MP, Diana Johnson:

“It’s clear that with so much more of the country now at risk of flooding, due to the rising sea levels and the greater regularity of volatile and extreme weather caused by climate change, we cannot afford to just write off whole communities, businesses and the property markets in large population centres such as Hull if we want to see our economy growing on a sustainable basis.”

Leeds Central MP, Hilary Benn:

“We have known for some time just how at risk the centre of Leeds is from serious flooding. This would affect not just many homes but also lots of businesses which would be very damaging to the city’s economy. That’s why we campaigned so hard for the new city centre flood defence scheme on which work should begin soon. And there’s no doubt that we will need to invest more in flood defence nationally over the years ahead in response to climate change.”

Scunthorpe MP, Nic Dakin:

“The recent floods are a wake-up call on the need to do more to protect households from climate change. Flood defence spending must take into account the expected impacts of climate change, like more rainfall and higher sea levels.”

Selby & Ainsty MP, Nigel Adams:

“Protecting homes is a priority for this Government so I am pleased to see the increased budget for defences. However, flood defence plans must take into account higher levels of rainfall and higher sea levels and we need a renewed focus on dredging rivers where appropriate.”

“Additionally, communities should consider their own renewable energy project and every home should be insulated to stop it leaking heat, money and carbon emissions.”

Their right royal affair was the scandal of the age but it was a love that survived against all odds and gave birth to the Tudor dynasty…

When John of Gaunt, the 14th century Duke of Lancaster, fell head over heels for destitute widow Katherine de Swynford, he defied protocol, politics and pious condemnation to keep her by his side until death parted them.

It’s a love story made in heaven for historical novelists and Anne O’Brien brings to vivid life the full force of a legendary, illicit liaison in an epic and romantic tale of daring, determination and danger.

Little is known of Katherine’s life – apart from gifts made to her in John of Gaunt’s Register and the outraged footnotes to history penned by moralistic and often malicious male chroniclers – but O’Brien has set her imagination to work to bring us a very human woman torn between conscience and desire.

What is for certain about John and Katherine’s relationship is that it produced four Beaufort children whose Lancastrian line would play a key role in the Wars of the Roses nearly a century later.

Taking the bare bones of a love that broke all the rules, O’Brien weaves a sultry and compelling tale of a royal duke’s flamboyance, pride, ambition and moral integrity consumed by his need for one remarkable woman… and an adulterous affair that lasted for 25 years.

In 1372, Lady Katherine de Swynford presents herself for a role in London’s Savoy Palace, the magnificent household of the arrogant, handsome John Plantagenet, Duke of Lancaster, and third son of ageing King Edward III.

She has left her crumbling home in Kettlethorpe, Lincolnshire, hoping to find money to finance her late husband Hugh’s estate and provide for their children but the duke, who knows Katherine from her service with his first wife Blanche, has a scandalous proposition which leaves her reeling.

Despite a life of hitherto pious integrity and dignity, Katherine is seduced by John’s declarations of adoration and agrees to become his mistress even though the momentous decision goes against all she has learned as a child.

Katherine’s dilemma is that her conscience is ‘a lively creature’ and she fears that this great sin will endanger her immortal soul, but the ‘bright happiness’ offered by the duke could be her only chance of fulfilment.

Tormented by uncertainty, John’s frequent absences and the presence of his new duchess, Constanza of Castile, Katherine becomes part of a deadly triangle of husband, wife and lover.

But no court amour can remain secret and soon the whispers – whore, harlot, vile temptress – reach the ears not just of Constanza but of John’s most dangerous political enemies and the powerful church establishment.

With unrest running through the country, separated from the duke by the Peasants’ Revolt and with claims of witchcraft and heresy swirling around her, Katherine will have to face the wrath of England, the king and the Church…

Once again O’Brien proves herself a medieval history magician, conjuring up a sizzling, sweeping story of two fabled lovers and the perilous, pitiless, political world they inhabited over 600 years ago.

Theirs was undoubtedly a grand passion and O’Brien gives us a fascinating window onto a courageous and resilient woman who was prepared to defy convention, reputation, scandal and danger for the love of her life.

Unashamedly romantic, packed with powerful emotions and the tumultuous unfolding of an affair that changed the course of royal history, this is a novel in which to enjoy the past in all its rich colour and dramatic detail.

(Mira Books, paperback, £7.99)

As many golfers start to come out of winter hibernation, this week saw the beginning of a seies of senior golfers’ coaching.

The EGGS (over 60’s) Section at Driffield Golf Club are a very active part of the club and some are as keen as ever to continue to get the maximum enjoyment out of the game.

The first sesion took part on the clubs extensive practice ground with the emphasis being on putting and chipping.

All enjoyed the variety of tips on offer from club pro Kenton Wright.

Lancashire author Paul Pilkington’s Emma Holden mystery trilogy was an ebook sensation, topping the Kindle charts on both sides of the Atlantic, and now a revised and expanded print version is set to hit the shelves.

So if you like your thrillers action-packed, full of breathtaking twists and turns, nail-biting cliffhangers and with more surprises than a magician’s hat, then this could be just what you’re looking for.

Hot off the presses is The One You Love, the first novel in the trilogy which was downloaded over three million times and introduces us to actress Emma and her desperate race to track down husband-to-be Dan Carlton.

In just over a week, Emma is due to marry her live-in fiancé Dan and both of them are out on the town in London for their last separate nights of hard-partying singledom.

It should be a carefree night but when Emma’s brother Will phones her to say that Dan hasn’t turned up at his stag do, the alarm bells start to ring for her. She has been let down in love before and really thought that this relationship with Dan was the real deal.

Her life has been on the up recently, particularly with the tantalising prospect of a forthcoming audition for a dream film role in a new British rom-com after years of appearing on a daytime TV soap opera.

Along with a worried Will and best friend Lizzie, Emma beats it back to her flat in Marylebone to see if Dan has left any clues to his whereabouts.

What they find there is shocking… evidence of a vicious scuffle in the kitchen and Dan’s brother Richard beaten up and left for dead on the bathroom floor.

Dan has been acting ‘weird’ over the past few weeks but surely he wouldn’t do this to his own brother who has sunk into a coma and is fighting for his life in hospital.

Without any evidence, suspicion for the attempted murder inevitably falls on the absent Dan but Emma refuses to believe his guilt and when crime scene photos are splashed across the pages of London tabloids, she realises that someone is following her and watching her.

Soon a long-hidden family secret seems to unite Emma’s troubled past with her dangerous present and, as time runs out, her trust in her family, friends and Dan faces the ultimate test…

Pilkington propels readers through a maze of hidden secrets and dangerous obstacles at breakneck speed, scattering clues and puzzles along the way to bewitch, bemuse and bewilder.

What sets out as the story of a pretty ordinary bunch of people thrown inexplicably into mystery and mayhem evolves into a morass of lies, manipulation and betrayals from all quarters.

Guessing outcomes and predicting plotlines is virtually impossible as we are carried along on an emotional and exciting rollercoaster ride into unfathomable territory and perilous mysteries.

The One You Fear and The One You Trust, the second and third books in the trilogy, will be published by Coronet in May and August this year and if you want to learn more about Paul and his books, visit his website at www.paulpilkington.com.

(Coronet, paperback, £6.99)

East and North Yorkshire supporters of Super League team Hull KR can now get up-to-the-minute match day information and exclusive digital content straight to their smart phones thanks to a clever app developed by Eon Visual Media.

SmartPicture, which is available on Google Play and the iTunes store, enables fans to scan images on the match programmes with a mobile device to access a vast range of online content tailored to each fixture.

The app, which incorporates Digimarc technology, is being used for the first time this week as the home side take on Castleford Tigers at the KC Lightstream Stadium.

Supporters can download it now to get access to video footage, competitions, team statistics and Hull KR’s online commerce site.

SmartPicture also promotes interactivity with and between the fans through social media.

Hull KR is the first Super League club to adopt the technology but it is currently in use at the KC Stadium enabling football fans to access exclusive Hull City material.

The deal is part of a wider sponsorship arrangement agreed between Hull KR and Eon Visual Media.

Craig Franklin, Marketing Manager at Hull KR, said bringing SmartPicture into the club’s marketing strategy will allow for a greater level of engagement between the club and the fans on match days.

He said: “SmartPicture brings an extra dimension to match days. It means fans can engage with the club on a digital level by simply downloading the app and scanning their programme to receive some really great content.

“It also means we are no longer confined by a set number of pages in the programme to deliver information. Linking the app with the programme allows us to provide them with a richer experience all round.

“We would also like to thank Eon for their valued ongoing support as a commercial partner of the club.”

SmartPicture is among the first print-to-mobile apps not to require visual codes such as QR codes or Microsoft Tags to function.

It allows logos and graphics on packaging and marketing literature to be scanned by a mobile device which directs the user to carefully selected online content.

Matt Dass, managing director of Hull-based Eon Visual Media, said he was delighted the app had been adopted by Hull KR.

He said: “This is the second major sporting club to realise the potential of SmartPicture – Hull City have been using it all this season.

“As a Hull KR fan myself, I’m really looking forward to testing it out on Friday night.”

To download the app for free search SmartPicture on Google Play or in the iTunes store. For more information go to www.smart-picture.co.uk.

The worst weather on record has left “Backlogged Britain” in a state of despair as 5,000 properties are damaged and insurance claims professionals are forced into working 80 hour weeks.

The Met Office has reported that the UK has had the wettest winter since national records began in 1910, causing homeowners to take desperate measures as they’re faced with incomprehensible damage to their properties from gale force winds, floods and sinkholes.

Homeowners are just starting to get their lives back on track as an extensive build up of insurance claims are stretching industry professionals past breaking point.

At least £24m has been spent on alternative accommodation such as hotels, bed & breakfasts and rented properties with the average estimated cost per household expected to be £16,500.

There have been more than 5,000 visits by Loss adjustors to assess damage to properties as the total payout is expected to reach £1billion.

A senior Loss adjustor based in Manchester, who has chosen to remain anonymous, has left her job because she feels she is not able to provide the service that homeowners need.

“I would not want to be making a claim right now, in fact I would dread to be going through what they are going through as homeowners,” she claimed.

“ I currently have 150 claims to deal with and I am working up to 80 hours a week. I was even sent to take up additional cases in the South of England which I can’t manage from an office in Manchester.”

Industry experts are claiming that some homeowners should expect to be out of their homes until at least Christmas, as fears amongst loss assessors show that inundated insurance companies could inevitably lead to a lack of quality restoration and protection against future damage.

Mrs O’Halloran, whose property in Staines-upon-Thames was flooded for the second time in 11 years, knows the difference it can make to seek professional help from a loss assessor, who work independently and free of charge for the homeowner.

Amateur chefs and bakers are being encouraged to waste no time in entering a food leftovers Bake Off cookery competition.

East Riding of Yorkshire Council has teamed up with the county’s only Michelin-starred restaurant and a cookery school to challenge residents to come up with fantastic recipes using leftovers and everyday store cupboard ingredients.

The winners of the competition will receive £100 vouchers for the Michelin-starred Pipe and Glass Inn at South Dalton.

Councillor Symon Fraser, portfolio holder for environment, housing and planning at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: “The purpose of this competition is to highlight how easy it is to save money and waste less food by using up leftovers that might usually get thrown away.

“If you feel passionately about reducing food waste and diverting food from landfill, and if you have a fabulous recipe using leftovers, then this competition is for you.

“We have some great prizes on offer … so get baking!”

The competition has two categories – 11 to 16-year-olds and 17 years and over – and the final three from each category will have the opportunity to cook their recipes at The Yorkshire Wolds Cookery School at Southburn, near Driffield, on Saturday 19 April.

Their entries will be judged by Michelin-starred James Mackenzie, owner/chef of the Pipe and Glass Inn.

Entrants must be from the East Riding and their recipes must be original and show that they can be made from leftover food or windfallen fruit and surplus vegetables, and everyday store cupboard ingredients.

James said: “I’m delighted to judge this competition, and to provide the first prize of vouchers for The Pipe and Glass Inn. We waste so much good food unnecessarily in this country, and a lot of it comes down to people just not knowing how to use leftovers to make delicious dishes. I hope this competition will help to both highlight the problem, and educate young people on how to make the most of their food.”

Finalists must be available to cook their recipes at The Yorkshire Wolds Cookery School on Saturday, 19 April from between 10.30am and 1pm.

First prize winners in each category will receive gift vouchers up to the value of £100 for the Pipe and Glass Inn; runners up will receive stainless steel kitchen recycling bins; and third-placed finalists will receive a signed Jamie Oliver Save With Jamie cookbook. All winners will also receive a recycling goody bag.

Entry forms are available at schools and other venues across the East Riding and also on the East Riding of Yorkshire Council website at www.eastriding.gov.uk

Telephone the council’s waste and recycling team on (01482) 395388 for more information.

More than 9,000 households across Driffield are part of a UK-wide initiative by TV Licensing to deliver better value for the Licence Fee payer, by reducing the number of paper TV Licences issued.

With the cost of the Licence Fee frozen until 2016, the amount people pay for a TV Licence has not changed since 2011. TV Licensing has written to more than 14 million Direct Debit customers letting them know they will no longer receive an annual paper licence as long as they automatically renew and pay on time.

These changes mean it’s important customers notify TV Licensing if they move house or change their personal details.

Paul Williams, spokesperson for TV Licensing, said: “We’re always looking to increase efficiencies to deliver better value for the Licence Fee payer. By not issuing the annual paper licence to Direct Debit customers TV Licensing will have saved around £5m from the start of the initiative to Charter Renewal in 2016. Those customers won’t require a paper licence until 2016 as we know their property is correctly licensed and their payment plans won’t change until then.”

He added: “Without the yearly postal reminder there is a chance some customers may forget to let us know if they move house, or update their Direct Debit details. Keeping us updated of any change of details is easy and can be completed quickly and safely online or by phone.”

Customers can check or update their personal details anytime by visiting www.tvlicensing.co.uk/info or by calling TV Licensing on 0300 790 6112. Customers should update their personal details if they move house, turn 75 or change their bank details or surname so as to remain properly licensed.

The costs saved [through ink, paper and postage costs] by not issuing an annual paper licence to these customers is expected to total £3m over the next three years. The money saved will be used to off-set national rises in postage costs.

Tour de Force: As the countdown to the Grand Depart continues, your newspaper reveals its plans to mark the once in a lifetime arrival of the Tour de france. Jonathan Brown reports.

As God’s own county embraces the most famous cycle race in the world, your Yorkshire Evening Post is joining the ride of a lifetime.

With the Tour de France’s Grand Depart just months away, we are urging readers to saddle up and enjoy the world’s most watched annual sporting event’s first visit to Yorkshire.

A series of new campaigns, giveaways and promotions will add to in depth, dedicated Le Tour coverage as we bid to put you at the heart of the action.

As we gear up for the landmark event, pro cyclist, Team Sky rider and Leeds lad Josh Edmondson is writing a monthly YEP column starting on Saturday, as we follow our cycling prospects right to the start line outside Leeds Town Hall on July 5.

On the same day Edmondson will also star in our free Tour Talk podcast featuring cycling journalists Nick Westby and Richard Fiddler along with Tour de France news reporter Jonathan Brown.

Your YEP will also run a weekly Tour de France page from February 8 featuring reader’s pictures, news updates and all the information you need to capitalise on what is possibly the greatest sporting attraction Yorkshire will ever host.

On top of regular in-paper Tour coverage in the lead up to July, we are preparing a free 32-page supplement for our March 28 issue as the countdown continues to stages one and two of the Grand Depart.

Nicola Furbisher, the YEP’s managing editor, said: “This is a huge event for the county and we want to make sure that everybody, whether they like cycling or not, feels part of this glorious festival.

“We’re inviting everyone to be part of it. We’re looking for readers to join in with our future campaigns on what will be a fantastic adventure.”

Our two-wheeled push will begin with the Let’s Get Cycling legacy campaign, as we bid to bring cycling to everyone from school pupils and church groups to businesses and Yorkshire families from March 3.

We want to get as many people on their bikes as possible, embracing Ride to Work Day on June 16, issuing beginner’s guides, health advice, how-to videos and kit giveaways to ensure Le Tour has a lasting impact.

With your help, the YEP also plans to turn Yorkshire yellow by asking readers to send in their pictures of everything from yellow bunting and yellow clothing to yellow shop fronts and yellow gardens.

The Yellow Yorkshire campaign, which will roll into action on March 24, aims to line both the Tour routes and the region with a memorable summer glow.

And as the start of the iconic race nears, we will follow a team of Yorkshire cyclists along both stage one and two of the Grand Depart in an eight-part Tykes on Tour series.

We’ll guide you through all the must-see sights en route as well as offer advice on riding and where to stay on race day.

We also want our readers to show they’re giving cycling a go by inviting On Yer Bike! pictures, whether you’re riding to work or cycling in fancy dress, from May 5.

The YEP website has also been developed to include a special TDF tab, where you can find the latest Tour news and sports coverage, features, photo galleries and more about our cycling heritage through profiles of riders such as Beryl Burton and Barry Hoban.

And we’ll even be hosting a free Le Grand DeParty event at Yorkshire Food and Drink Live, in Leeds, on June 6, 7 and 8.

For everything Tour de France, visit www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/tdf.

GET IN TOUCH WITH US AS TOUR NEARS

We want you on board to help to make the build-up to the big event as exciting and as fun as it can be.

Look out for an interactive series of campaigns, including Yellow Yorkshire and On Yer Bike!, where you can get creative and join in the festival fever.

You can tweet your pictures and comments to our @leedsnews Twitter handle using the hashtag #TDFYorks or post them on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/yep.newspaper as the countdown continues.

The Yorkshire Evening Post website now features a dedicated Tour de France tab, which will help to keep readers up to date on all the latest news and sports coverage. Readers can comment on our stories online before stage one and two of the Grand Depart get underway on July 5 and 6.

For information visit www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/tdf.

For all your Tour de France stories and events, why not get in touch with our Tour de France news reporter Jonathan Brown. Email jonathan.brown@ypn.co.uk, tweet @jonnybrownyep or call 0113 2388134.

For advertising opportunities email Joanna Sier at joanna.sier@jpress.co.uk, tweet @joannasier or call 0113 2388689.

Leeds cyclist Josh Edmondson takes us on a monthly journey into the world of a young professional trying to achieve a dream Tour de France debut.

As a professional cyclist from Leeds I feel blessed that I have the opportunity to try and ride in a Tour de France that begins right here in my home city.

Yorkshire has a grand cycling history with the likes of Tommy Simpson, Brian Robinson and Barry Hoban.

They all blazed a trail for British cycling, but they never got the chance to ride the Tour de France on the fantastic roads they grew up training on.

That is the opportunity that presents itself to me, my Team Sky colleague Ben Swift of Rotherham and Burley-in-Wharfedale’s Scott Thwaites of NetApp Endura, who is a long-time riding companion of mine.

All three of us have a massive task on our hands getting into our respective teams for the 101st Tour de France that begins right here in Leeds on July 5.

Over the coming months I will be writing this column to give you an insight into my training and how as a 21-year-old embarking on my second season in the professional peloton, I hope to crown it with what will be the highlight of my career no matter what I go on to achieve – standing on the start line of the Tour de France in my home city. I am under no illusions, though.

The size of the task is monumental.

I am fortunate to be a member of a Team Sky squad that is thriving at the moment, having won the last two Tours de France through Sir Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome.

That success though is a double-edged sword for an ambitious rider like myself, because it means the team is constantly producing and recruiting top-class talent to strengthen the squad.

Only nine men ride for a team at the Tour de France, and of course, a number of the spots on our roster are spoken for.

It’s my job to do all I can to get myself onto that team.

Pete Kennaugh is a good friend of mine and he showed last year that no matter how young you are, if you’re good enough, team principal Dave Brailsford will have no hesitation in looking your way. That’s why I’ve been putting the hard yards in at home and abroad this last month or so.

Yesterday I flew out to Mallorca for a second training camp and the start of my season at the Mallorca Challenge.

That was an excellent training camp in the first instance.

We had a good group of guys out there and got a lot done.

Swifty and Wiggo were out with me for much of the time. Wiggo is a great training partner and you might have seen the footage of me and him on the telly recently sharing a joke as we rode along.

He’s still giving me a bit of abuse about my Yorkshire accent. He’s got a bit of a cheek really given his ‘Lancashire’ accent but it’s all in good fun. I think I’m just an easy target for him.

Brad has been training very well. He’s been talking about the Tour a lot, and he’s very keen as a former winner to ride the Tour here in England. It’s such a monumental occasion for British cycling and Brad knows that.

I don’t know in what capacity he’d like to ride it but he’s definitely determined to be back involved.

The training at this time of season is just about getting a base of endurance in and making sure we’ve all got enough miles in our legs for the season ahead.

They’re quite long days on the bike so we all get up and eat at the same time, we all have the same breakfast dependent on what the nutritionist says we need to have, whether it’s a low-carb day or a high-carb day.

Then it’s out on a long six- or seven-hour ride.

A lot of the teams decamp out to Mallorca because the weather’s good – about 15 degrees – it’s good terrain and this time of year it’s quite quiet, other than the large amounts of cyclists out there.

NetApp Endura were out there and I bumped into Scott Thwaites, but there was also Lotto-Belisol and GreenEdge who we raced past a few times, so it’s busy.

As good as the roads are here in Yorkshire – as the world’s best will find out this summer – the work we do in Mallorca is work that I can’t really do back home.

Having said that I’ve just had the last week at home and I still trained hard. I had a bit of time to enjoy being in Yorkshire and in Leeds and it was great to get my old training group back together of Scott, Tommy Bustard, my brother Nathan and Tom Barras. We tend to head down past Bolton Abbey and beyond.

As a group we’ve ridden together for years and know these roads that will stage the Tour this year so well.

Even though I’ve been doing this for years and hopefully will be doing for years to come, I still have the desire every morning to get out of bed and head out on the bike.

Some days are easier than others obviously; when it’s hammering down and freezing like we’ve had on a lot of occasions this week, nobody particularly wants to set off but when you’ve got a good group like we have got here its enough of an incentive.

Plus, they’re such great roads to cycle.

In this second spell in Mallorca which begins today I’ll be picking up the intensity, incorporating a few harder stints into my training.

The season begins for me on February 9 with the Mallorca Challenge, a series of four individual races. For me, the aim will vary every day depending on who I am supporting for a stage win.

I know it’s a big week for Swifty and his Tour de France ambitions. The first day in Palma is a circuit race which will be good for him as a sprinter.

February is a big month for all of us with aspirations of making Team Sky’s Tour de France line-up.

YORKSHIRE singer-songwriter Alistair Griffin is to take part in his third Coast to Coast cycling challenge to raise money for charity.

Griffin, who has written the official song for the Tour de France’s Grand Départ in Yorkshire in July, will be taking to the road himself the month before in support of Marie Curie Cancer Care.

The challenge will begin on June 20 at Grange over Sands in Cumbria, with cyclists following an undulating 150-mile route and arriving two days later in Scarborough.

It is the sixth time the challenge has been run, with last year’s event raising almost £25,000 which will fund a Marie Curie nurse for almost a whole year.

A launch event will take place on Saturday, February 15 at Your Bike Shed café in Micklegate, York, where riders who have previously completed the route will be on hand to provide advice and inspiration.

Meanwhile, Team Sky rider Josh Edmondson has joined the Yorkshire Post as Tour de France columnist. Edmondson hopes to be a part of the 101st Tour de France himself and his monthly column in the build-up to the race will provide an insight into the inner workings of Team Sky, one of the leading outfits in world cycling.

See the first instalment in Sports Weekend, Page 8.

Scott Thwaites has been told he has as good a chance as anyone on the NetApp Endura team of making the start line for this year’s Tour de France, writes Nick Westby.

The prospects of the 23-year-old debuting in the world’s greatest bike race that begins in his home county on July 5 were boosted this week when the German team he rides for were given a wild card.

Team manager Ralph Denk has told the Yorkshire Post that Thwaites can achieve this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity – if he makes the improvements the team demand of him.

Denk said: “We had a meeting with all the riders at our training camp in Mallorca where we told them that every rider has the chance to qualify.

“We will judge our nine-man team selection on performances and then do a pre-selection of the riders at the end of February. They will each have the same chance of making that 15-man pre-selection squad.

“If Scott works hard, if he stays motivated, if he improves and shows development, he will be in contention.”

Denk and the NetApp management need to see immediate improvement from Thwaites if he is to make the team’s preliminary roster. A big month begins for him at the Mallorca Challenge – a four-day series of races – from February 9.

The two-time winner of the Otley Grand Prix and national circuit race champion, earned a top-10 finish at last year’s high-profile Tour of Britain before, by his own admission, fizzling out at the end of his first year in the pro peloton.

Denk said: “Scott did a good job in 2013. You have to understand the size of the step-up he was making, he was effectively going from the second division of pro cycling to the first.

“He did some very good races, but he had problems with his climbing because the races are longer and harder and he needs to do more races like that.

“For a young rider like Scott there is a lot to improve.

“At the end of the season, though, we were happy with him and we are looking forward to working very closely with him to get him up to the level we want him to be, and where he wants to be. He has the potential and talent to become a very good rider.

“Scott showed his talents last season in the mid-level races, so we have worked and planned together with our sports directors on a plan to suit Scott.

“He will ride for his own success in some races and the team will support him, and sometimes he will race to try and get the team success.”

Whether or not he makes the team, Thwaites’s intricate knowledge of the Yorkshire roads the Tour will wind through on July 5 and 6 is something Denk will tap into.

“I hope Scott is in the line-up then he can give the rest of the team that vital information,” said Denk.

“It’s always good to have riders who have an inside knowledge.”