People stopped to pay their respects in the usual fashion when Wootton Bassett mourned one of its own.
Town crier Owen Collier led the cortege carrying former crier Fred ‘Boots’ Deacon, who died aged 78 last month, as it passed from the town hall and along the High Street.
The former RAF serviceman had served as town crier for 31 years.
His son Kevin, 40, of Stratton, was at his bedside at Great Western Hospital every day after Mr Deacon broke a hip in April. He said: “It has still not sunk in.”
He added that he had been ‘quite overwhelmed’ by the tribute, which Mr Collier organised.
“The town criers all came along and told stories about dad. Everything was very good,” he said.
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