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California governor signs law banning all plastic shopping bags at grocery stores

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California governor signs law banning all plastic shopping bags at grocery stores

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — “Paper or plastic” will no longer be a choice at grocery store checkout lines in California under a new law signed Sunday by Gov. Gavin Newsom that bans all plastic shopping bags.

California had already banned thin plastic shopping bags at supermarkets and other stores, but shoppers could purchase bags made with a thicker plastic that purportedly made them reusable and recyclable.

The new measure, approved by state legislators last month, bans all plastic shopping bags starting in 2026. Consumers who don’t bring their own bags will now simply be asked if they want a paper bag.

State Sen. Catherine Blakespear, one of the bill’s supporters, said people were not reusing or recycling any plastic bags. She pointed to a state study that found that the amount of plastic shopping bags trashed per person grew from 8 pounds (3.6 kilograms) per year in 2004 to 11 pounds (5 kilograms) per year in 2021.

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Blakespear, a Democrat from Encinitas, said the previous bag ban passed a decade ago didn’t reduce the overall use of plastic.

“We are literally choking our planet with plastic waste,” she said in February.

The environmental nonprofit Oceana applauded Newsom for signing the bill and “safeguarding California’s coastline, marine life, and communities from single-use plastic grocery bags.”

Christy Leavitt, Oceana’s plastics campaign director, said Sunday that the new ban on single-use plastic bags at grocery store checkouts “solidifies California as a leader in tackling the global plastic pollution crisis.”

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Twelve states, including California, already have some type of statewide plastic bag ban in place, according to the environmental advocacy group Environment America Research & Policy Center. Hundreds of cities across 28 states also have their own plastic bag bans in place.

The California Legislature passed its statewide ban on plastic bags in 2014. The law was later affirmed by voters in a 2016 referendum.

The California Public Interest Research Group said Sunday that the new law finally meets the intent of the original bag ban.

“Plastic bags create pollution in our environment and break into microplastics that contaminate our drinking water and threaten our health,” said the group’s director Jenn Engstrom. “Californians voted to ban plastic grocery bags in our state almost a decade ago, but the law clearly needed a redo. With the Governor’s signature, California has finally banned plastic bags in grocery checkout lanes once and for all.”

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As San Francisco’s mayor in 2007, Newsom signed the nation’s first plastic bag ban.

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The book hunter: crafting the perfect collection with Philip Blackwell

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The book hunter: crafting the perfect collection with Philip Blackwell

By James Greig

Sometimes, clients come to Ultimate Library with a simple request: make me look smart. “We received this as feedback in a recent questionnaire,” explains Mollie Wood, marketing and sales boss at the bespoke book-curation service based in London. “This was obviously not an avid reader, but someone who wanted to look authoritative, to reflect an interest in books they might not actually have.” The decline of reading may be a perennial concern, but the bookshelf has lost none of its power to convey status and refinement.

That’s not to say the company caters only to those trying to convince acquaintances that they’re keen fans of Henry James. On the contrary, many clients arrive at their first consultation with a highly specific set of preferences. “It’s always good to work with somebody who is really engaged in the process and sets us interesting challenges,” says founder and director Philip Blackwell. Ultimate Library designs book collections for hotels, resorts, spas and co-working spaces, but its work on private homes can be divided into two main categories: people for whom their property is their main residence, who may be looking to enhance an existing collection; and those buying a luxury property — sometimes one of many — who are looking to start from scratch.

In either case, it’s about connecting people with the books that best reflect their taste. “We’ll ask a number of leading questions designed to tease out someone’s interests and reading preferences, which may involve where they spend their time, things about their background, where they travel, what their passions are, their favourite genres and writers,” says Blackwell. “To give you an example, if somebody is very interested in crime and thrillers, and their property is going to be in a specific city, there’s usually a great thriller series set there.”

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Library collections are often required to respond to both a content and design brief

The briefs are often far more niche and idiosyncratic than an attempt to look clever. One client was looking for novels about war which had been adapted into films; another wanted a library dedicated to books about Manchester City Football Club — among more contemporary titles, the team tracked down an obscure but fascinating biography of Bert Trautmann, a German goalkeeper who played for the team in the postwar era. “He was just the most amazing character, a truly remarkable figure,” says Blackwell. “Being able to surprise and delight a client by finding that sort of book is wonderful.”

The owner of a private apartment in north London requested a library devoted entirely to witchcraft. “Among the team we’ve got around 100 years of combined bookselling experience. When it comes to witchcraft, there are older people like me who will think of [occult novelist] Dennis Wheatley, and younger ones who are perhaps more into Dungeons & Dragons,” says Blackwell. Drawing from this combined knowledge, the resulting library covered witchcraft from just about every conceivable angle.

Prior to founding Ultimate Library in 2008, Blackwell spent decades working in bookselling and the publishing industry, and the expertise he acquired is integral to the service he now provides. “If someone is looking to build a book collection for a property in Bulgaria, what do we know about that? Well, we know about their leading poet, we know about the International Booker Prize-winning author Georgi Gospodinov, and we know about the people who’ve travelled there who will be able to provide a cultural insight,” he says.

As well as this insight into subject matter, Blackwell’s knowledge of the industry itself allows Ultimate Library to work with the entire spectrum of publishers, from the largest and most established houses to independent start-ups and boutique specialists. “We were looking for a book on the history of Japan the other day, and we came across Old Street Publishing — they produce these very good, shortish histories that you can read in a day and remember for a lifetime,” he says. “We are able to identify books that not only cover the subject, but do it in an amusing and engaging way.”

Book choice can respond to and complement specific colour palettes and designs in a room

Ultimate Library’s work often has to take into account design alongside curation: “One of our skills is being able to tick the aesthetic box while ensuring that the content is good, so it’s about style and substance”, says Blackwell. The interior designers they work with may have detailed requirements, particularly if it is a development site and the ultimate purpose is to sell the property. “A brief will often say ‘it’s a New York apartment, we’ve got 10 linear metres of shelving to fill, we want a muted colour palette, greys and blacks and beiges, and books on art and architectural photography’,” says Blackwell.

When it comes to ensuring that a client’s needs are met, the installation process is vital. The curators spend a lot of time thinking about how a book collection — whether library, snug or single bookshelf — can best match the surrounding space. The collections are designed according to a preprogrammed grid, which has occasionally led to some last-minute surprises. During one project, the team had prepared a selection of classic titles with dark spines to complement a square space in the middle of a room, which they had been told would surround a black, rectangular television. When it turned out the space actually featured a bright, fluorescent art installation, they had to go back to the drawing board, completely refiguring the collection with bright-spined books about art and architecture.

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Philip Blackwell’s unrivalled knowledge of the publishing industry makes him the ideal book hunter

According to Blackwell, there is no single secret to a great personal library — it very much depends on character and taste. “When we’re curating a collection, whether it’s private or institutional, we try to find interesting, quirky books that people don’t necessarily know about, where the titles will leap off the shelf and make people say, ‘Oh, I never knew there was a book about that.’ ”

Leatherbound classics have their place, but it’s the surprising and unexpected choices that transform a collection of books into a truly unique library.

Photography: Studio Vero; Tiberio-Sorvillo

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‘Labour war on tax cheats’ and winter fuel ‘revolt’

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'Labour war on tax cheats' and winter fuel 'revolt'
The Times headline reads: Good time ahead if we seize them, says Reeves

Stories looking ahead to the chancellor’s party conference speech dominate a number of the front pages on Monday. The Times says Rachel Reeves will use her address to praise the country’s “immense potential” and “offer a more positive version of the future” after a host of dire warnings about the state of the economy since winning power.
The Daily Mirror headlines reads: We will get your money back

A new crackdown on tax dodgers is the top story for the Daily Mirror. It reports on the chancellor’s plan to close the gap between how much tax is owed and how much is collected – it says the £39.8 billion shortfall will be recovered with the help of a newly set up taskforce.
The i headline reads: Reeves urged not to return to austerity, as Labour faces winter fuel revolt

The i leads with a warning to the chancellor to keep public spending under control to avoid returning to austerity. Labour’s West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin told the paper “we’ve been here before, we’ve seen this movie”.
The Daily Express headline reads: Even Labour's union backers want fuel cuts scrapped

The Daily Express reports that retired members of Unite will try to force a U-turn on the decision to scrap winter fuel payments by protesting at the second day of Labour’s conference in Liverpool.
The Guardian's headline reads: Labour to investigate £600m Covid contracts given under the Tories

The Guardian’s top story reveals the chancellor has launched an investigation into £600m worth of Covid contracts awarded under the previous Conservative government. It says that Reeves will refer more than half the contracts for material goods such as masks to a newly-appointed Covid corruption commissioner.
The Metro headline reads: Red flags at Labour conference

The Metro leads with a take on the first day of the Labour Party Conference. It writes that Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner “seemed close to tears” during her speech that came as she and other senior members have been embroiled in a freebies row.
The Daily Telegraph headline reads: Reeves: UK must accept hard times or risk ruin

Leading The Daily Telegraph is a story saying Reeves will use her conference address to argue that “tough decisions” will lead to economic growth, which the broadsheet writes “will further raise fears of a raft of tax rises” in the forthcoming budget.
The Financial Times headline reads: European steelmakers press Brussels to tackle a flood of Chinese exports

The FT leads with a plea from steelmakers. It reports the price of European steel has been driven below the cost of production because of a surge in Chinese steel exports. Producers and trade bodies have told the paper that a new tarriff system was needed to cope with “the market-distorting effects of global overcapacity” in the industry.
The Daily Mail headline reads: Now Rayner hires £68,000 'vanity photographer'

The Daily Mail reports that Angela Rayner has hired a “vanity photographer” on a £68,000 salary. It claims that although it is standard practice for the government to employ a photographer for the prime minister, Rayner is the first deputy PM to get her own.
The Sun headline reads: Dance Floored - Lowest ratings for first live show

The return of Strictly Come Dancing leads The Sun, which reports that Saturday’s show registered the lowest ever viewing figures for a series-opening live show since the programme began.
The Daily Star headline reads: The future is orange - Make me prez & I'll sort with Musk

“The future is orange” is the headline for the Daily Star. It reports on Donald Trump’s comments that he will “colonise Mars” with Elon Musk if he wins the US presidential election.
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Cloudland at McLemore Resort – Vacation Above the Clouds

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Cloudland at McLemore

Cloudland at McLemore Resort has a backstory that is as good as its accommodations, restaurants, spa, and golf courses. Tucked away on a 2,000-foot elevation in northern Georgia, the resort has become a vacation magnet for travelers seeking fresh mountain air, world-class golf, to die-for views, and a touch a luxury throughout their stay.

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The name McLemore claims a rich history for those calling Rising Fawn, GA, home. Located 30 miles south of the Chattanooga Regional Airport, the resort based the McLemore name on the mystical legend of a true 18thcentury Scot, who settled in Georgia, and rose to the position of Cherokee chief, as well as a captain in the U.S. Army. This Scottish link lends itself well to the three McLemore golf courses whose reputations grow by the day.

Today’s Cloudland at McLemore Resort is the perfect hub for those looking to explore the region’s climbing, hiking, and paragliding, as well as visiting the national park, and a museum. For guests wishing to simply relax, consider that Cloudland at McLemore is home to 245 hotel rooms, 20,000 square feet of event space, a spa, four restaurants, an outdoor pool, and views that soar all the way to Lookout Mountain.

Cloudland at McLemore

Golf with an Altitude

If you like golf, you’ll love The Highlands, The Keep, and The Cairns golf courses. The Bill Bergin and Rees Jones-designed Highlands Golf Course placed McLemore firmly on the world map when the golfing public became aware of the course’s 435-yard, Par 4, 18th hole. The hole’s entire left side sits on a cliff, and the vista view of Lookout Mountain is stunning.

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This fall, there is great anticipation for The Keep, the Cloudland at McLemore’s newest 18-hole course. Positioned on the eastern cliff’s edge of Lookout Mountain, this 7,700-yard links layout is a walking course with caddies. A real-life painting of mountain views, limestone outcroppings, Billy bunkers, and a blanket of Zoysia grass, The Keep is sure to become an international draw.

Cloudland at McLemore

Dining with a View

Situated next to the Cloudland at McLemore infinity pool, the Skyside open air restaurant stretches out from a cliff. The panoramic views from this al fresco dining and cocktail venue gives new meaning to the term “happy hour.”

The restaurant Auld Alliance’s name pays homage to a pact between Scotland and France in 1295. Dining guests can expect exquisite cuisine, the best wines and bourbon, top shelf service, and Cloudland at McLemore’s signature views.

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Cloudland at McLemore

Say Ahhh at Selah Spa

A mountain vacation is a chance to rejuvenate, reflect, and reset your mind, body, and soul. At Selah Spa, guests choose from a wealth of massage, facial, and body treatments. Steam, sauna, and hydrotherapy are also at your fingertips.

Cloudland McLemore

Hilton’s Highest Standards

Cloudland at McLemore Resort is part of the Curio Collection by Hilton. This means that the resort was handpicked by Hilton to deliver one-of-a-kind moments. From driving the winding mountain roads in a Porsche, to hang gliding above the mountains, or attending a special singer-songwriter concert, guests staying at Cloudland at McLemore discover a resort destination where there’s every opportunity for making a magic moment. 

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Cloudland McLemore

Write Your Own Mountain Story

Your stay at the Cloudland at McLemore Resort may start out as a well-deserved escape with the goal of breathing the freshest mountain air. There’s a good chance that by the time you checkout, this resort featuring a front-row seat with nature will become your new vacation favorite. Come to Cloudland for the mountain views and its fascinating backstory, return to this above the clouds resort to make a story all your own. https://www.staycloudland.com/

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Met Police launch plans to be ‘truly anti-racist and inclusive’

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Met Police launch plans to be 'truly anti-racist and inclusive'
Getty Images Sir Mark RowleyGetty Images

Sir Mark Rowley said he wants the Met to become ‘a truly anti-racist and inclusive’

The Metropolitan Police has set out plans to try to rebuild trust with London’s black communities which it says have been “let down” over a number of years.

Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said “there remains a long way to go and there is a lot more work to do”, but added the Race Action Plan “was a step in the right direction”.

It includes a new stop and search charter, an overhaul of its policy on intimate searches on children and measures to help black victims of crime.

The plans were made with input from black communities across London as well as black officers within the Met.

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The new stop and search charter aims to reset how the procedure is carried out.

Tensions over stop and search have included the treatment of two black athletes, Team GB runner Bianca Williams and her partner, Portuguese sprinter Ricardo Dos Santos.

Two Met constables were sacked in October 2023 after a disciplinary panel found their actions during a “highly distressing” stop and search amounted to gross misconduct.

Trust in the force was also damaged after a 15-year-old black girl – known as Child Q – was strip searched while on her period at her school in Hackney in 2020.

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Getty Images Protestors in Hackney including one prominently holding a banner stating: Wake up and smell the racismGetty Images

Hundreds protested in Hackney after the Child Q incident came to light in 2022

The new policy on intimate searches of children, would, the plans said, increase the “threshold and oversight, ensuring they only occur when necessary and proportionate”.

Other changes include improving how black victims of crime are treated.

The measures will range from using new imaging devices to identify bruising on victims of crime, building trust by “improving our empathy and cultural awareness” and working with its partners to reduce delays in the criminal justice system.

The Met says it wants to better represent the communities it serves and is working to recruit and retain a more diverse workforce.

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All new recruits are being trained to understand the experience of black Londoners and other communities across the capital, according to the Met.

There will also be better support and protection for those calling out unacceptable behaviour.

Disparities in the Met’s misconduct system are also being tackled, while new workshops to improve promotion rates have helped to raise pass rates for black officers from 68% to 75% since 2021.

Updates on the progress of the plan will be given twice a year.

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The aim is for the Met to become “a truly anti-racist and inclusive organisation”, according to Sir Mark.

He said: “Black Londoners have been let down by the Met over many years and while we continue to take steps in the right direction, there remains a long way to go and there is a lot more work to do.

“Action, not words, will rebuild trust in our service, so we must now remain focused on delivering real change that is seen and felt by our communities and our workforce.”

Sir Mark added the force is changing “our systems, our processes, culture and our leadership” and working closer with communities.

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He added: “To achieve this critical change once and for all will take time, but I am determined that we will continue to strengthen our relationship with black Londoners – whether that be members of the public or our own colleagues – and renew the principle of policing by consent.”

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The week ahead in Asia

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Monday: Malaysia and Singapore announce August inflation data while New Zealand publishes its latest trade figures. Financial markets in Japan will be closed for the Autumn equinox.

Tuesday: Former Singaporean transport minister S Iswaran’s corruption trial is scheduled to begin. The Reserve Bank of Australia announces its interest rate decision.

Wednesday: The EU is set to vote on proposed tariffs for Chinese electric vehicles. Australia publishes August inflation data. Nine Dragons Paper, Asia’s largest paperboard producer, announces quarterly earnings. 

Thursday: The Tokyo Game Show, one of the world’s largest gaming exhibitions, begins. Hong Kong property developer New World Development announces earnings. 

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Friday: Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party votes to choose its next leader. Chinese industrial profits figures for August are due. Sri Lanka’s central bank announces its interest rate decision.

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Hero WW2 pilot who died in a parachute failure saved dozens as heavy rain unearths crashed plane in 80-year-old mystery

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Hero WW2 pilot who died in a parachute failure saved dozens as heavy rain unearths crashed plane in 80-year-old mystery

A WOMAN has discovered her WW2 pilot dad died a hero after heavy rain miraculously unearthed his crashed plane.

For decades, Margaret Thompson believed her tragic father, Flight Lieutenant Frank Bolton, was just another “ignoble” casualty in the ill-fated Battle of Arnhem, part of Operation Market Garden.

Flight Lieutenant Frank Bolton, from Leeds, died during the failed Operation Market Garden in WW2

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Flight Lieutenant Frank Bolton, from Leeds, died during the failed Operation Market Garden in WW2Credit: Thompson Family
Jean Bolton, Frank's widow, alongside their son Michael and daughter Margaret at Frank's grave

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Jean Bolton, Frank’s widow, alongside their son Michael and daughter Margaret at Frank’s graveCredit: Thompson Family
Soldiers of the British 11th Parachute Battalion surrendering in Oosterbeek on September 24 1944 during the Battle of Arnhem

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Soldiers of the British 11th Parachute Battalion surrendering in Oosterbeek on September 24 1944 during the Battle of ArnhemCredit: Alamy
Frank at Bridlington in Yorkshire with his son, Michael

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Frank at Bridlington in Yorkshire with his son, MichaelCredit: Thompson Family

This month marks the 80th anniversary of the failed military op, which saw more troops killed than during the D-Day Landings.

But now Margaret knows the truth – her dad died saving dozens of innocent lives.

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Heavy rain fell on the River Meuse in the Netherlands, with the resultant floodwater exposing the wreckage of a P-51 Mustang I, the plane Frank had been flying.

He quickly became a local hero in the town of Gennep, where the aircraft was discovered, and locals were desperate to track down his family.

Margaret’s son Paul was contacted by Han van Avensburgen, whose uncles had described what they had seen on September 26 1944 – when Frank had died.

A shot down plane was hurtling towards the town and the pilot managed to divert it away from buildings and civilians on the ground at the last second.

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It was a move that would have made Frank’s own survival highly unlikely, as he would have been too low for his parachute to be effective.

But it ensured he saved many lives.

Witnesses saw the brave pilot, from Leeds, West Yorkshire, clamber onto the wing and unsuccessfully try to launch his parachute into the air.

Margaret was yet to be born when her dad died – but most upsetting was none of the details of Frank’s death made it back to his family.

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British veteran Geoff Roberts, 99, travels to Arnhem for 80th anniversary of Airborne troops’ battle

She went on to visit his grave at the Commonwealth War Grave Commission’s Jonkerbos War Cemetery with her mum and brother several times without knowing what really happened.

Speaking about the moment her son told her the truth about her dad, Margaret told the Times: “I felt incredulity, amazement, shock and disbelief.”

While the revelation has changed her view of what happened to Frank, she said his death remains bittersweet.

“I know it’s the done thing to say it was all for the greater good and the country is proud of them, but I felt that it was totally unfair and as I’ve got older I do question what he died for,” she said.

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What was Operation Market Garden?

Operation Market Garden was an Allied military operation during WW2 fought in German-occupied Netherlands from September 17 to 25 1944.

It aimed to create a 64-mile salient into enemy territory with a bridgehead over the Lower Rhine River – which in turn could create an invasion route into northern Germany.

The op was split in two: the seizing of nine bridges by US and British airborne forces (Market) and then British land forces swiftly following over the bridges (Garden).

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The 41,000 airborne soldiers – from the First Allied Airborne Army – were dropped at sites to capture key bridges and hold them until the land forces arrived who were advancing from the south along a single road.

However, 100,000 German soldiers were in the area and opposed the allied offensive.

A total of 11,500 Allied troops died in the nine days of the operation, more than during the D-Day landings two months earlier.

It failed to achieve its objectives but the determination shown by the airborne troops and assisting units made it one of the war’s most famous battles.

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It was immortalised further in the film A Bridge Too Far.

“I am, however, full of admiration for all our armed forces and the sacrifice they made.

“It helps me to think that he is remembered by others and to know how heroically he died.”

Margaret has since travelled to Gennep again to meet Jacob van Tankeren, who was just a teenager at the time of the crash and found Frank as he was dying.

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He held his hand as he passed away, and in turn Margaret held his hand and said they “wept together” and she added that Frank remains the “perfect father, the loving daddy of imagination”.

British Paras during the battle for Arnhem in 1944

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British Paras during the battle for Arnhem in 1944Credit: Mediadrumimages/AnthonyTucker-Jones/PenandSwordBooks
Thirteen P-51D Mustang fighters - similar to one Frank flew in -at RAF Malling in 1948

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Thirteen P-51D Mustang fighters – similar to one Frank flew in -at RAF Malling in 1948Credit: Times Newspapers Ltd
Visitors  at the Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery during the commemorations for the 80th anniversary of Operation Market Garden

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Visitors at the Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery during the commemorations for the 80th anniversary of Operation Market GardenCredit: Rex

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