QUIZ master Doug Ginger, who provided Free Press readers with their weekend puzzles, has died at the age of 82.

Mr Ginger, of Blind Lane, Bourne End, who has lived in the area since he was born in Hughenden on February 28 1918, died on Wednesday morning of pneumonia.

Mr Ginger married his wife Ella in 1944 after they met on a football pitch in Dover where he was serving as a search light operator during the Second World War.

The couple moved to Blind Lane in Bourne End in 1950 and remained there with their family. Mr Ginger worked in various jobs but his first love was always literature.

Youngest daughter Catherine Baynham, said: 'He was marvellous with words, he had a magical way with them. During the last week of his life he was still able to beat us all at scrabble.'

'He once had to do a swap with a Sun newspaper reporter as part of the morning programme Anne and Nick and he had to report on the Brit Awards. He thoroughly enjoyed the day, although he was not a Sun reader.'

Mr Ginger worked at the Wargraves Commission and then at Jackson's Mill, Wooburn, for many years and became sales manager.

He served the community his whole life, being a Bourne End and Wooburn Green parish councillor for 10 years, a district correspondent at the Free Press and entertaining readers with puzzles and crosswords for more than 10 years. The Bourne End Community Association's Target magazine gained from Mr Ginger's knowledge when he worked on it for 30 years as editor.

His wife Ella said: 'He was always a busy man. He also set the questions for the On Target competition quiz. He did the questions for 30 years until the final this year, when our son set them. She added: 'He was a very thoughtful and caring man and we had a lovely life together.'

Mr and Mrs Ginger have five children, Penny, Catherine, Bob and twins Diana and Rosalind, and nine grandchildren.