Obituaries: a historical novelist and a Liverpool winger

Born in Norwich in 1936, Judy’s talent for writing flourished at an early age. Whilst at Norwich High School for Girls, she used to leave stories on her desk for her classmates to find. Spurred on by the success of having a poem published in Enid Blyton’s Sunny Stories when she was eight years old, Judy dreamed of becoming a published author. After moving to the north-west of England with her family, Judy would work throughout the night to write her stories.

Her first novel writing as Katie Flynn, A Liverpool Lass, was published in 1993. Judy always enjoyed researching the historical periods in which her novels were set. Her forays into inter-war history often led her into contact with her fans: from housewives to evacuees, she interwove the experiences of her readers into her fiction, particularly in her much-acclaimed Liverpool sagas.

Despite being diagnosed with ME in 1996, she continued to write. Her daughter Holly worked as her assistant for her writing for 10 years and has become increasingly involved with her work.

Further Katie Flynn novels on which Holly worked with her mother lie ahead, the first being A Christmas Gift, which will be published in July.

THE footballer Peter Thompson, who has died aged 76, was a former Liverpool and England winger.

Signed by Bill Shankly from Preston in 1963, he went on to become a mainstay on the left flank for the Reds as he racked up more than 400 appearances and two First Division titles during his decade-long stay at Anfield.

Carlisle-born Thompson, who was capped 16 times by England between 1964 and 1970 but was not part of Sir Alf Ramsey's 1966 World Cup winning squad, made his Preston debut aged 17 in August 1960.

He went on to score 20 goals in 121 appearances before his switch to Liverpool, where he was an ever-present in his first campaign as he helped his new side to the league title in 1963-64.

Thompson was central to Liverpool's first-ever FA Cup win the following season, scoring the opener in a 2-0 semi-final success over Chelsea before playing every minute of the extra-time victory over Leeds in the Wembley showpiece.

Thompson was absent for only two games as Liverpool reclaimed the league crown in 1965-66 while, in total, he scored 54 goals in 416 matches for the Merseyside club.

Shankly once remarked about Thompson in the latter's testimonial brochure, according to www.lfchistory.net: "If Peter Thompson would not have taken up football he could have competed in the Olympic games. That's how good an athlete he was.

"He could run forever, but more importantly in football he could run with the ball - probably the hardest thing to do. He could run every minute of every game, every week, every year better than anybody else.

"His work rate was outstanding, his fitness unequalled, his balance like a ballet dancer. I have no hesitation in placing Peter up among the all-time greats - alongside such players as Tom Finney, Stanley Matthews and George Best."

He lost his place in the first team because of a knee injury and, in 1973, he joined Bolton, where he ended his playing career five years later having made 117 appearances.

THE politician Derek Foster, who has died aged 81, was a former Labour chief whip and long-serving MP. He sat in the Commons from 1979 to 2005 before becoming Lord Foster of Bishop Auckland - the seat he had represented in the Commons.

Lord Foster became the first ministerial resignation suffered by Tony Blair's government - just two days after being appointed in May 1997 - reportedly in protest at the junior role he had been given at the Cabinet Office.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said Lord Foster, who was opposition chief whip from 1985 to 1995, had served the party with distinction.

Mr Corbyn, a serial rebel while a backbencher, said: "As chief whip, he was always kind to me and supportive of new MPs."

The Labour whips office said Lord Foster died in hospital in Sunderland of secondary cancer.