Friday 3 April 2009

A tough crowd? Comic turn at funeral!

A FAMILY said goodbye to their mum with smiles on their faces — after booking comic Dominic Collins for her funeral.

Stuart Hargreaves asked the singing postman from Droylsden to perform at his mum Norma’s wake . . . in front of dozens of mourners.

After the service at Dukinfield crematorium, relatives gathered at Stalybridge Labour Club where Dominic was waiting with a guitar and a bagful of gags.


The songwriting funnyman admitted he was stunned by the request, but was happy to oblige. And he soon turned the tears of sadness into joy.

He said: "I’ve done some tough gigs in my time, but that takes the biscuit. I must admit I was really apprehensive beforehand. Everyone came in looking really sombre. But they left grinning and laughing, thank goodness. They left looking a lot happier than when they came in, at least."

Norma, 66, of Newton, Hyde was a huge fan of Dominic, according to son Stuart, 43.

"We wanted the wake to be a celebration of her life. Mum would have absolutely loved it. She had all his CDs and used to collapse in laughter listening to them. We’ve been to a few of his shows and he’s even staged one of his trademark living room gigs in my house. He’s very funny"

3 comments:

Sentiment said...

fantastic!

Charles Cowling said...

How very interesting - and novel. And typical of Britons' subversive, anarchic defiance of death's sting. Inasmuch as Dom clearly embodies so much of the spirit of Norma Hargreaves it seems wholly appropriate, and a great way for those mourners to take her memories of her with them into the future.

Charles Cowling said...

Hmnph. To take their memories of her with them into the future, I should have said!