| The town of Shrewsbury witnessed its largest funeral in living memory on May 18th 2007, when Police Constable Richard Gray was laid to rest with full Police and Military Honours. His life had been taken by a lone gunman who was holding two of Constable Grays colleagues as hostages. The gunman then shot himself.
The Funeral Service was held in the towns historic eleventh century Abbey and a lone piper from Constable Grays old army regiment, the First Battalion Blackwatch, led the cortege, followed by three standard-bearers. The roads were closed to traffic and the pavements were lined with hundreds of mourners, who came to pay their last respects. Chief Constables from many Police Authorities attended and every constabulary in the country was represented at the funeral service. All the major national newspapers and TV stations carried full reports.
Shropshires leading independent funeral directors W.R.R PUGH & SON LTD carried out the funeral arrangements. The days of meticulous preparation by Managing Director Peter Forrest and his staff, leading up to the funeral itself, were rewarded by a perfectly organised, dignified service. Letters of commendation for the arrangements were received from those who were involved with, or who witnessed the funeral service.
Photograph and material was submitted by Coleman Milne, with the kind permission of Constable Grays family and W.R.R Pugh & Son Ltd. |
|
