WHEN it comes to giving blood, Brian Lancaster is "A-positive" example to all of us.

Brian, of Cowgill Street, Earby, has just been presented with his gold badge and tie from the National Blood Transfusion Service to mark his giving 50 pints of blood. And he's still only 42!

That means Brian has been going religiously two or three times a year to give blood ever since he was 18, and he has no intention of stopping yet.

"I think it was my mother that started us," said Brian. "She used to go regularly and she always said that when my sister Susan had her baby she lost a lot of blood and needed about six pints in a transfusion.

"When I left school I was gardening for Earby Urban District Council and I first went to give blood when I was 18 with my workmate David Foster."

Later Brian worked at the brickworks at Sough alongside Colin Oldfield, another regular donor who has since notched up 50 pints.

But for the past 20 years Brian has been a lorry driver for Silentnight Beds, which hasn't always made it easy for him to attend the donor sessions held twice a year in Earby.

"Three or four times I've missed at Earby so I rang up and found out when the next session was being held at Skipton and went there instead," said Brian.

"I don't like to miss and I always feel better after giving blood. It's like a regular medical too because if there's something wrong with you it will usually show up in your blood."

But Brian's main motivation for donating his A-positive blood is that "you never know when you may need some back!", and that extends to his wife, Margaret, and their children.

He urges anyone who doesn't already give blood to go along and give it a try, adding: "There's nothing to be scared of, and it's always a good cup of tea afterwards."

It was quite a surprise when Brian was presented with his gold badge and tie at the latest session in Earby.

He hadn't been keeping count and thought he would be getting somewhere near the high 40s, but not quite at the 50 milestone yet.

Now he hopes he can go on giving blood long enough to notch up 100 pints.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.