The tribute to Trevor Passmore a couple of weeks ago appropriately recognised the contribution which he, a local farmer, and a larger than life character, had made to the farming world and his local community.
Trevor’s generosity of spirit and deed, was described most movingly by his brother Colin, at his funeral service last week, held at Worthing Crematorium which was full to capacity, and later repeated and expanded upon back at the family farm at Coombes, where even more of his friends and colleagues were gathered.
Family and friends paid tribute to this remarkable man, with several poignant addresses, none more so than by Colin, and his best friend Steve who had come from Canada to pay his final respects.
It is so often the case that it is not until we gather together to morn, and celebrate the life of someone we have known, admired and whose company we have enjoyed for many years, that we get to hear their full story. And how they have enriched the lives of so many of us, who have had the privilege to cross their paths and travel along it with them, in many cases.
All of us gathered at Coombes Farm to remember Trevor, and to support his mother Mary in particular, and his sister, brother and extended family, talked fondly of Trevor our friend, the farmer and local campaigner. He was always prepared to stand up and be counted regarding local and national issues, which he cared about deeply.
The surprise for many of us was the diverse, including international background, of many of those gathered for this moving occasion. The farming community turned out in force, from across and beyond Sussex, and Wales, where the family also farm. But so too were friends from much further afield.
There were those who knew Trevor through his love of fishing, and the beer festivals held at Coombes, and friends who had come all the way from Poland wearing their traditional costume, where he had been a frequent visitor. Trevor developed a deep affection for his Polish friends, made when Lancing and Zywiec were twinned.
Trevor will be sorely missed by his family and friends, and as I drove away past his Sussex cattle in their yards, I felt certain they too will miss him dreadfully.
Having recently walked the streets of Brighton with my daughter, following a show, it was notable that the number of rough sleepers lying in alleyways, and sitting on pavements outside restaurants, had risen notably since our last visit.
Curious to see how widespread the situation was, we detoured on the way to the car park. Significantly many were foreign, they sat in pairs or more, they were drinking beer and spirits, and some were obviously high on drugs. On the whole, despite the cold night, they appeared to be remarkably cheerful.
There are stories in the press and media mentioning the number of ‘homeless’, in London in particular. This state of affairs is considered to be a national disgrace, and is apparently all the ‘government’s fault’. There is much to blame any government for, but I am fairly certain that even if an additional million more homes were available, many of those sleeping on the streets of Brighton and London, would probably still be there.
The charities such as Clock Tower Sanctuary, the Rough Sleepers Resettlement Team and Shelter, work incredibly hard to raise funds, feed, clothe and offer a warm bed to those less fortunate than ourselves. However, in Brighton as well as in London, the problem is not necessarily the system or lack of housing, but the mess people make of their lives, mostly through over indulging in drink, and or drugs.
Part of the problem is that many are from overseas. Perhaps the situation would improve if they were returned to their country of origin, where they could let it be known that the streets of Great Britain are not paved with gold!
Trevor’s generosity of spirit and deed, was described most movingly by his brother Colin, at his funeral service last week, held at Worthing Crematorium which was full to capacity, and later repeated and expanded upon back at the family farm at Coombes, where even more of his friends and colleagues were gathered.
Family and friends paid tribute to this remarkable man, with several poignant addresses, none more so than by Colin, and his best friend Steve who had come from Canada to pay his final respects.
It is so often the case that it is not until we gather together to morn, and celebrate the life of someone we have known, admired and whose company we have enjoyed for many years, that we get to hear their full story. And how they have enriched the lives of so many of us, who have had the privilege to cross their paths and travel along it with them, in many cases.
All of us gathered at Coombes Farm to remember Trevor, and to support his mother Mary in particular, and his sister, brother and extended family, talked fondly of Trevor our friend, the farmer and local campaigner. He was always prepared to stand up and be counted regarding local and national issues, which he cared about deeply.
The surprise for many of us was the diverse, including international background, of many of those gathered for this moving occasion. The farming community turned out in force, from across and beyond Sussex, and Wales, where the family also farm. But so too were friends from much further afield.
There were those who knew Trevor through his love of fishing, and the beer festivals held at Coombes, and friends who had come all the way from Poland wearing their traditional costume, where he had been a frequent visitor. Trevor developed a deep affection for his Polish friends, made when Lancing and Zywiec were twinned.
Trevor will be sorely missed by his family and friends, and as I drove away past his Sussex cattle in their yards, I felt certain they too will miss him dreadfully.
Having recently walked the streets of Brighton with my daughter, following a show, it was notable that the number of rough sleepers lying in alleyways, and sitting on pavements outside restaurants, had risen notably since our last visit.
Curious to see how widespread the situation was, we detoured on the way to the car park. Significantly many were foreign, they sat in pairs or more, they were drinking beer and spirits, and some were obviously high on drugs. On the whole, despite the cold night, they appeared to be remarkably cheerful.
There are stories in the press and media mentioning the number of ‘homeless’, in London in particular. This state of affairs is considered to be a national disgrace, and is apparently all the ‘government’s fault’. There is much to blame any government for, but I am fairly certain that even if an additional million more homes were available, many of those sleeping on the streets of Brighton and London, would probably still be there.
The charities such as Clock Tower Sanctuary, the Rough Sleepers Resettlement Team and Shelter, work incredibly hard to raise funds, feed, clothe and offer a warm bed to those less fortunate than ourselves. However, in Brighton as well as in London, the problem is not necessarily the system or lack of housing, but the mess people make of their lives, mostly through over indulging in drink, and or drugs.
Part of the problem is that many are from overseas. Perhaps the situation would improve if they were returned to their country of origin, where they could let it be known that the streets of Great Britain are not paved with gold!
RSS Feed