Barrie's Funeral Service

[Colin Brett]

Barrie's Funeral Service was held today, as many of you will know, in the splendour of Emmanuel College Chapel, Cambridge.
I've lived all my life in Cambridge and worked some of it within the university and one of the colleges, Barrie's was the first college funeral I have attended or been involved with.

So today was something very special to me. Many of you won't have witnessed a funeral like Barrie's, it was very moving experience to see so many people from different walks of life come together to say goodbye to a dear friend and work colleague in the surroundings of Emmanuel. Hundreds of years of history formed a great part of today's service and to a degree it was like stepping back in time.

Mourners had come from various points around the globe including Australia, Bermuda and Ireland, as well as many from around the UK.
The college choir were present and performed to perfection. In Graham's enforced absence, Des Taylor took up the challenge and gave the eulogy about, in his words, a great bloke. Well done Des, Barrie would have been proud of you.
Most moving was a short poem "Thinking of Barrie" read out by 9 year old Gracie Caroe, Barrie's adopted God Daughter:

The man who makes us smile
when we're about to cry
Whenever he is present
he lights up the whole sky
And now he must leave us
for no-one lives long
but deep down inside us
we know that he's never gone.

Needless to say that's when I crumbled!

After the service Barrie's coffin was carried all the way round the main courtyard and then across the hallowed lawn that he had crossed many times in his lifetime, before the Dean of Emmanuel read a few words prior to the Barrie leaving the college for the last time.

Barrie will be cremated at Cambridge Crematorium today [Tuesday] at 10am.
Should you get the chance at that time spare a thought for an angler whose contribution to angling was I believe on a par to that of Richard Walker.

RIP Barrie we will miss you greatly.

[preston96]

Thank you Colin, for sharing that with us.

[Derek Gibson]

May I echo Paul's words, ill health prevented me from attending.

Thank you very much Colin.

R.I.P. Barrie.

[Cakey]

R.I.P. Barrie

[Trevor Sawyer]

Thanks Colin. I hadn't noticed this thread earlier today and posted a report on one of the sticky threads about attending Barrie's funeral...
I was standing right behind you at the service (in the Chub Study Group fleece) and have to say that Gracie's reading had the same effect on me. What a beautiful service and a fitting tribute to a "proper" angler.

Trev