Gina's bubble car and a hearse which has been driven by Greengrass are to go under the hammer this weekend, as an East Yorkshire farmer's business loses its Heartbeat.

The unique collection of vintage farming and fairground equipment, as well as two treasured Shire horses, and the vehicles from the Yorkshire Television programme, will go on sale to mark the sad end of Allan Baldry's Agricultural and Horticultural Museum.

The museum, at Major Bridge Park at Holme-on-Spalding Moor, was a venture launched in 1994 in an effort to the escape the downturn in the dairy farming economy.

About 90 per cent of the Baldry/Howden collection, put together over more than 30 years with lifelong friend Gordon Howden, who died earlier this year, is being auctioned off.

And the auction notice lists an "ex-Heartbeat" Austin FX hearse, as driven by Aidensfield undertaker Bernie and Claude Greengrass, and barmaid Gina's BMW Isetta bubble car.

Mr Baldry closed his museum last month, blaming low visitor numbers and poor support from East Yorkshire tourism promoters.

He said he had mixed emotions about the sale.

"I will be sad to see the collection go, but on the other hand it's been a millstone round my neck for the past six years," he said.

"It has stopped us doing other things we would liked to have done."

The lots also include vintage fairground rides and organs, and vintage tractors and wagons.

Mr Baldry said he was now looking forward to turning his attention to his other family businesses - his farm and coach hire business, Baldry's Coaches.

He also hopes to go on tour with a 19th century fair organ, which is currently being restored.

Manheim Auctions, which is handling the sale, has had interest from both private buyers and other historic collections.

Vic Brailsford, of Manheim Auctions, said: "It is a very sad occasion that such a unique and well known collection as this has to be split up."

The auction takes place this Saturday, at 11am, at the Major Bridge Park Museum.

Meanwhile, leisure park Lightwater Valley, near Ripon, is enjoying better news.

Its bid to build a 75-acre holiday village looks set to get the go-ahead from council planners.

The application for 204 caravans, 136 lodges, a reception complex, an extension to a "pub in the woods" and a wet weather shelter was put on hold in August because Harrogate councillors were concerned about the extra traffic the scheme would generate.

But now the bid for outline planning permission, which goes before the committee again on Tuesday, has been earmarked for a further postponement to allow the council's head of planning to approve it subject to conditions.

Councillors were originally concerned about the traffic the site would bring to North Stainley, and its impact on the clock tower junction in Palace Road, Ripon. A new summary of the traffic impact has now been provided to the committee.

The project would create ten full-time jobs, principally in management, and up to about 20 other seasonal jobs, including cleaners and bar staff.

The current application is a scaled-down version of an earlier £11 million plan for the site, dubbed Costa del Lightwater.