DALESMAN Hubert Bywell Sadler left clear instructions for his own funeral.

He directed: "I am to be disposed of as cheaply and as quickly as possible. Nobody is to be miserable since I have had a wonderful life on this earth."

Aysgarth church was packed as friends gathered to say farewell to Mr Sadler, known to many as "Sep".

The Reverend Sue Whitehouse said that Mr Sadler, born at Yore Mills, Aysgarth, in 1914, returned to Wensleydale after retiring from the Ford Motor Company. He had begun work there as a fitter on the assembly line and retired as quality control manager for Ford Europe.

Those from Thoralby had special reason to thank him, when as a parish councillor in the 1960s, he helped keep more than 200 acres of common land in parish ownership and won residents a rates cut.

His son, Mark, who lives in California, was unable to attend the funeral as he has motor neurone disease.

His tribute, read out at the service, said: "My father was proud to count himself among the dales folk. He was a country man through and through. The life of the moors, woods, fields and streams, especially in his beloved realm."

The last two years of his life were difficult following the death of his wife, Sonia. His son thanked the friends, relatives and neighbours who had supported him.

"He took to computers easily. When I realised I could no longer visit Thoralby we attached cameras to our computers and had video meetings over the internet several times per week. It was a tremendous thrill for both of us to be able to continue to communicate in that way."