FAMILY and friends of a much-loved North-East pensioner gathered yesterday to bid him a fond farewell.

The funeral of Charles Robert Young, a well-known character around the town, took place at Darlington Crematorium, where loving tributes were paid.

Mr Young, of Wilson Street, was renowned as an entertainer at old people's homes, hospices and fetes in recent years, performing an array of favourite classic tunes.

The service heard that Mr Young, who died at the age of 82, was "the life and soul of the party", a man with "special skills"in music and entertaining.

During the Second World War, the tunes he provided from the "squeeze box"helped raise the morale of weary troops.

He was called up in 1940 at the age of 18 and went on to serve in Greece and North Africa.

His musical career had begun at the age of 14, when he was part of a three-man band known as the Bon Accordions.

The band quickly grew in popularity and changed its name to Don Sorrento, giving about 300 shows during the war.

Mr Young started performing for elderly people across the town after the death of his wife, Margaret, three years ago, and was often inundated with bookings.

His son, Ian, also of Darlington, said: "Dad will be missed by everyone who knew him, because he gave a lot of people a lot of joy."