A gambling-mad great-grandad who regularly pocketed thousands in horse-racing winnings managed to have one final flutter after he died - on the way to his own funeral. When retired foundry foreman Bill Blair died of rectal cancer his grieving family were determined to give him a send-off that celebrated his passions in life.
So when the 83-year-old, who loved placing daily bets on the horses and playing dominos, was on his final journey to the crematorium the procession paused at William Hill in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. Funeral director Drew Lilleker nipped into the Sheffield Road branch on January 30th to place a £2 bet on a horse and pinned it to Bill's betting slip-shaped floral tribute as staff silently bowed their heads.
Ex-army man Bill was then welcomed at Chesterfield Crematorium by flag-bearing pals from the regiment he served in during the 1950s - to represent his pride at serving Queen and country.One of Bill's granddaughters, carer Tyne Hadley, said she and her family wanted his funeral to be a celebration of her grandad.
