GREAT SERVANT

How sad it was to hear of the death of Coun Ted Appleyard, the people's very long-serving representative on Barton Town Council, Barton Rural District Council, Humberside County Council, North Lincolnshire Council and the Humber Bridge Board.
Even though over 90, Ted, the oldest serving Mayor in Britain, was still working for the community up to a very short time before his death.
What has this to do with Brigg? Well, from 1974-1996 Ted came to Brigg on Thursdays for important meetings of Glanford Borough Council, at a time when all 41 councillors served on every committee. Unlike the current 'cabinet' system operated by North Lincolnshire Council, which to me doesn't seem to offer rank-and-file councillors the chance to contribute as much.
The often lively Glanford committee meetings were held in the fine old council chamber at what's now Hewson House, Station Road, with Ted taking up his familiar place on the very back pew.
The morning meeting (eg housing committee) would start at 10.30am after the councillors had been fortified with tea, served by the genial Mrs Cross from a small refreshment booth outside the chamber.
There would be a break for lunch from about 1pm-2pm when Ted would make his way (with fellow councillors and the press) to the Angel Hotel, for a spot of lunch - before returning for the afternoon meeting.
Ted would contribute to many debates, including Brigg topics like the Corn Exchange and the Recreation Ground.
Although a Barton councillor, he - like the vast majority of his colleague at the time - was not parochial. Ted was just as likely to speak on an issue outside Barton as he was on one in his own domain.
At the end of the first Glanford council meeting I covered, someone introduced me to Ted, whose initial comment was: "I don't care what you quote me as saying, as long as you quote me as saying something."
For Ted was a very shrewd politician, which is why he lasted so long. He knew that whenever his name appeared in the Lincolnshire Times, Scunthorpe Star or Scunthorpe Telegraph, it would register in the minds of the voters - and stay there until it came to election time.
The Brigg-based Lincolnshire Times had a district reporter covering Barton who worked from home. When she was on holiday, I would be sent out (by car) to Barton to dig out what news was available.
First port of call every day was always Ted Appleyard's shop, in Bowmandale. He would always deliver the goods - including (in answer to my prayers) something worthy of that week's front page.
The only downside was while sitting on Ted's sofa, supping a cuppa, you had to fight off his boisterous dogs while trying to scribble down his comments in your notebook.
When a friend of Ted's rang the Scunthorpe Telegraph office very early the other day to announce his death, I was the only one there to take the call, which was quite a shock.
"It really is the end of an era," said the caller. And she was spot on with that observation.
Ted could well be compared to Brigg's own George Hewson - they gave long service to their communities, served at all levels of local government and both ran shops on council estates (a very good way of hearing about people's problems).
They named a major public build after George - the aforementioned Hewson House. So I hope North Lincolnshire Council finds some similar way of ensuring Ted Appleyard's name lives on in the decades to come, in addition to the street in Barton already bearing his name.
If they want a suggestion, rename Waters' Edge (with its oddly-placed apostrophe) The Ted Appleyard Centre.
Even better, add Ted's name into the title of the Humber Bridge...after they have announced the removal of the dreaded tolls!
An excellent two-page tribute to Ted's life and work appeared in yesterday's Scunthorpe Telegraph.