Valuer reveals a fine turn of phrase

Mr Nisbet, 72, is well known throughout East Yorkshire for his work at The Exchange on behalf of Driffield auctioneers Dee, Atkinson and Harrison. But the father of four is also a keen poet who has written verse since the age of 12.

Wordscapes – a collection of poems is his first anthology and has been published by Highgate Publications of Beverley.

It contains 36 poems in various styles, from romantic through to humorous and even slightly risqu, and is dedicated to his children Simon, James, Isla and Hannah.

Many are deeply personal and Mr Nisbet admits that in many ways they are a "linguistic birth".

Some spilled onto the page quickly while others took time to perfect as he returned to them time and again to tweak, adjust and refine them.

"It's either easy, or you go into labour for a long time," he explained. "I might wake up in the middle of the night and a phrase will come to me."

Wordscapes is available from Dee, Atkinson and Harrison's office on Exchange Street in Driffield, priced 5.