Community Activities
The Funeral of Peter Arthur Redway, aged 77 years, February 2011
Peter, who lived next to the canal for much of his life and was a leading member of the Surrey and Hampshire Canal Society, was given a traditional boatman’s funeral. It started near his home in St John’s, Woking, where his coffin was transferred from our hearse onto a barge on Basingstoke Canal.
His coffin was placed on the Society’s workboat Alan Flight. His two sons Kevin and Ian, and members of the Society’s regular work party, bow-hauled the boat from outside his house to our hearse at Lock 11 a short distance away. Peter had spent a lot of time on the renovation of the Alan Flight during last year, and it was ironic that his first trip on the boat should be his last on the Basingstoke. We understand that this was the first funeral carried out on the canal for over 100 years.
How our funeral directors helped
Peter’s enormous dedication to the life of the canal was important to his family, so they wanted his funeral to remember the contribution he had made. We helped the family to carry out their wishes, by organising this funeral alongside the Surrey and Hampshire Canal Society.
Peter’s family were given a choice of coffins and advised that it was possible to have a coffin with canal boats printed on it. The family thought that this was a wonderful idea, and chose a reflections coffin with photos of barges.
The services we supplied
- Hearse
- Limousine
- Funeral Staff
- Reflections coffin
- Service sheets