Flushing's oldest man in the spotlight

MY new collectable hardback edition of Flushing: A People's History will be on sale at Flushing's indoor Christmas market this weekend. Already, the 384-page book is attracting plaudits from buyers, with one describing it as 'a lovely book that will be treasured.'

Another buyer was happily surprised to see her late father mentioned, while yet another spotted a photograph of her brother as a young man. The book traces the history of Flushing families over the generations and spotlights many of its leading characters right up to the present day.

Among its many features are a chapter on the village pantomime, a profile of Flushing's oldest man, centenarian Mr Jack Osborn, pictured above, and vivid wartime memories of one of the village's best-known residents, Mrs Betty Tardrew.

One buyer said: 'It is a super book and I've been immersed in it for days. It is a gift at £35 - it should be £40 at least.'

Mr Osborn has already been delving into the book, and greatly enjoyed the feature on his long life. Daughter Pat said: 'He's chuffed to bits about it.'