Strong tea and doorstep sandwiches will see mourners through William Lee's funeral.

And, in accordance with the staunch Yorkshireman's last wishes, if they want a drink they must pay for it.

Mr Lee, 80, known as Bill or Blondie, has also asked his family to scatter his ashes on his beloved Ilkley Moor.

Mr Lee left his home in Stockton-on-Forest, near York, to live in France in 1978 after the death of his wife Letty, but his native county remained dear to his heart.

Such was his devotion that he stipulated a proper Yorkshire tea should be served following his funeral - and those who want a drink have to buy their own.

Besides Yorkshire, Mr Lee's other enduring passion was cycling, which he kept up during his 34 years with the RAF as a founder member of its cycling association.

Illness forced Mr Lee to return from his home on the Cote D'Azur in 1996. He lived with his daughter Patricia and her husband Kenneth at their home in Kent before moving into sheltered accommodation in Southborough, where he died last week.

Mr Lee's ashes will join those of his wife, also scattered on the moor. Mr Lee's funeral will take place on January 20 at Shipbourne Church, near Tonbridge, Kent.

see COMMENT 'Tyke your leave'

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