TRIBUTES have been paid to a well-known farmer and haulage contractor who wrote his autobiography about his extraordinary life.

John David Ireland, known as JD, died on November 15, aged 77, after suffering from Parkinson’s Disease for more than 20 years. His partner, Isobel Dring, said JD was a caring and good natured man.

“He was a quiet man but he loved to talk to people and never said a bad word about anyone,” she said. “He would also help out anybody who needed it.”

Isobel said that after running JD Ireland Transport for many years people had urged him to write his autobiography.

“John had always said he would do it when he retired, but his work was his life so that never really happened,” she added. “We always thought he would never get round to it but he suddenly came home one day and said he wanted to write the book so we got on with it.

“He was thrilled with the book and so pleased he had done it. He took a copy with him everywhere and it has been really well received.”

The JD Ireland Story is aptly subtitled You’d Never Believe It If It Wasn’t True. JD, who was born in June 1939, and was the first child of Charles and Nancy Ireland, who lived at Ings Farm in West Knapton.

In 1960, JD’s father ran off with a 16-year-old girl, leaving him to run the family farm. Seven years later his father returned to West Knapton with his partner and their five-year-old son and JD was told to get off the land. During the next three decades, JD proceeded to build a successful business that at one time included agricultural contracting, haulage and Marshall tractor sales.

The JD Ireland company logo was a familiar sight on his trucks, tractors and at his premises on the A64 at West Heslerton and he was the main haulier for sugar beet from the east of the county into the York sugar factory. In 1995, at the age of 55, John was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. JD Ireland Transport was later sold.

Isobel said around 200 people had attended JD’s funeral service at Octon Crematorium on November 25 with donations to St Catherine’s Hospice and RABI. “I have received lots of cards and flowers and I would also like to thank my friends,” she added.