CRAVEN has lost one of its best loved sportsmen with the death of Dennis French, who helped to run Gargrave football team for more than 70 years.

Dennis, who lived in Gargrave for all of his 85 years, married his wife Winifred in 1956 and, at one time, the couple ran the village bakery.

Dennis was an engineer, working for Rolls Royce, firstly in the drawing and design office and later as a production manager.

He played a vital role in the life of his beloved Gargrave as a trustee of the village hall and Gargrave Sports Association. He played both cricket and football for the village teams and served as captain at various times, including in 1957 when Gargrave's new cricket pavilion opened.

Dennis was a stylish batsman and occasional spin bowler and played football with great skill and grace, never being booked or given to rough play. He was a true gentleman of both games.

His cricket career was cut short when he had to undergo major surgery, but he was able to continue his footballing life into his forties.

Dennis not only played football, he helped run the village team for more than 70 years and was honoured by the Football Association, with a special award in recognition of his great services to the game.

He will also be remembered for his love of Gargrave. He was a pioneer, recording village events from the late 1940s until recent times in great and meticulous detail using photos, slides and cine-films together with a major archive of scrap books, maps and other documents which represent an invaluable archive of the life of his village.

His family are working with the Gargrave Heritage Group to raise the funds to preserve this archive and to ensure it can be made available more widely.

Dennis was also a leading light in helping to keep the Settle Carlisle Railway Line open and his archive contains many records and photos of the engines which passed through Yorkshire. Dennis was the station inspector who sent regular reports to the rail authorities until very recently.

Most people in the area will remember his slide shows at the village hall which covered the photographic history of the village and these were supported by his delightful talks and anecdotes which gave colour and life to each and every slide. It had been planned that Dennis would again give such a show in St Andrew's Church on March 20.

The Heritage Group, with the support of his family, will go ahead with the show in his honour and his photographs and slides will be presented by some of his friends and family.

He leaves a major hole in the social and historical life of the village and will be greatly missed by his wife Winifred, children Peter and Cathy, three grandchildren and by a large and loving circle of people who were proud to call him their friend.

A funeral service was held at St Andrew's on Friday.