We have lovely memories of Lionel with his gentle smile and twinkly eyes. I always thought of him as a real-life Santa! Sam remembers listening to records on his record player and Hannah about Calamity or Annie coming for food as soon as you arrived in Salvezou. I remember him toiling away in the garden and then coming to join us after we'd be chatting away a good hour! Lovely memories of a lovely man. Sarah, Salvezou, France.

I knew Lionel through his wife my dear friend Anne, and my memory of him was that he had that rare gift of making people feel comfortable and relaxed in his company. Like I have described him many times before he was like" an old slipper " and not many people have that gift. He will be missed and I will always remember him when I hear Chesterfield football Club mentioned as he was a great fan. R.I.P. Lionel.

Our memories of Lionel go back many years. Anne & Pat were work colleagues who became good friends. This led to both couples meeting regularly for a drink, sometimes a meal out & then, following a shared interest in Trad Jazz, visiting local jazz sessions together. We remember when Lionel built a mirror dinghy in their dining room & we were privileged to share the results of his labour sailing with him at Flash Dam & once at Bridlington. As years progressed we saw less of each other but our friendship remained strong. In latter years Lionel would have a chat with Mike during his regular visits to Brimington Church bookshop. Lionel was always cheerful, knowledgeable & loyal (especially to Chesterfield FC -a passion we did not share!). We, and all his other friends, will miss him but he leaves behind lots of happy memories & we feel honoured to be called his friends. RIP Pat & Mike Thorpe