Hundreds of people lined the streets in Nantwich town centre to pay tribute to local legend Michael “Flash” Meakin at his funeral today.
Packed crowds applauded the cortege along the route from his house on Gerard Drive to St Anne’s Catholic Church opposite the railway station on Pillory Street.
Many family and friends also walked behind the cortege, and Flash’s famous handcart was also pushed along with the cortege, containing tributes and reefs.
“Flash” was a colourful character on the streets of Nantwich for over half a century, pushing his cart around the town collecting scrap tin cans and metal that residents left in their gardens.
He then transported the metal for recycling centres including companies like Garratt’s in Nantwich.
Today’s funeral cortege proceeded slowly down Queens Drive, Welsh Row and on to Waterlode, before turning right by the Railway Hotel to the church.
Police were on hand to deal with huge crowds and to ensure traffic was held to allow the procession.
The funeral service for Flash was held in front of jam-packed St Anne’s Church at midday.
Afterwards, the procession then left the church and proceeded up to the Whitehouse Lane cemetery in Nantwich where Flash was laid to rest next to his brother “Tinker”.
Many people have donated to the local homeless charity, Chance Changing Lives, in lieu of flowers.
The funeral was organised by Gavin Palin Funeral Services.
The town council is considering ideas for a permanent memorial in the town to honour Flash.
At last night’s Salt of the Earth Awards, a special “Posthumous Award” was made to Flash for his service to the town.
(Images courtesy of Tony Pennance, video courtesy of Sharon Hendrie)
Whilst glad Flash had a good send off I have to think that police numbers were very evident for traffic control etc on Saturday but are not so evident for many of the recently reported anti social issues such as the intimidation of elderly people and innocent shoppers by young lads on bikes.
Quite agree, he sold scrap metal for money which is all well and good, however I fail to see how it was a community endeavor.
It must have been because he was a popular local, an amusing incident one day he was spotted breaking open street litter bags that a volunteer litter picker had collected from litter picking the streets, only to remove the metal cans in there for his collection, talk about sub contractors haha
I wasn’t at the Salt of the Earth awards so didn’t hear why he got an award. Can anyone enlighten me? He was a long-lived, “colourful” character around town but he was making a living as a scrap man not saving the earth or making Nantwich rubbish free as he collected scrap from businesses and took it out of bins. Why an award? Genuine question…this all leaves me confused as I seem to have missed the “good works” and “community spirit” of his endeavours.