GEORGE Brigham, master mechanic, former bowls champion and local Conservative luminary who only two weeks ago sold his well-known repair and MoT garage, has died at St Leonards hospice, York, aged 85, after a short illness.

Mr Brigham, who leaves a widow, Edith, 85, two sons John and Brian and five grandchildren, will be buried at York cemetery after a funeral service at Heworth Holy Trinity Church on Thursday.

He is well known to thousands of customers, corporate and private, who regularly used his garage GW Brigham & Sons, which he set up in Mansfield Street, off Foss Islands Road, York, after returning home from the war.

He had been a staff sergeant during the tank landings on the second day of the D-Day invasion and fought his way through enemy fire to Belgium.

After the war he reverted to the engineering skills he learned when working for Unwins (now Polo) in Piccadilly, York, in the 1930s.

The garage thrived with the help of both his sons and grandson, David, as large firms like the Evening Press, neighbouring William Birch, the builders, and York electrical firm House & Sons sent their fleets to him to be repaired and tested.

An eloquent speaker, Mr Brigham was a former president of the Fulford Conservative Club and in 1975 was president of both York Conservative Association and the Federation of York Conservative Clubs.

He was also president of York Bowling Association and his great moment of glory was when he clinched the title of York Men's Singles Champion, having trounced Jim Ashman, the England international player, along the way. He was also an influential snooker player, having helped to organise the York Conservative snooker league annually, including this year's event.

Updated: 11:03 Tuesday, December 18, 2001