Fred was a stalwart of the club during its very early days and whilst he never played the game he was one of Chinnor’s greatest supporters and a perennial volunteer throughout the club’s impoverished foundling days.

By profession Fred was the archetypal happy family butcher although once the shop had closed for the evening he would be found in the club’s then HQ, The Bird in Hand, Chinnor where he enthusiastically helped plan the club’s future and played an instrumental role in its move from Chinnor to Towersey.

Not just the theorist, Fred spent many hours helping build and fit out the Towersey club house. His perpetual good humour and inexhaustible energy made it a joy to work alongside him through those early formative years. No task was too great or too menial. Whatever was asked of him would be actively embraced and completed without complaint or rancour. He was a natural, good humoured conversationalist and truly a great friend of the club. He helped all of us back then to build the foundations of what is now the staggeringly successful Chinnor RFC.

One of Fred’s greatest mates was Chinnor and Oxfordshire No 8 Tony Cozzi who too died just a few months ago. A few days ago Tony’s wife Michele said in a note to Andrew, Fred’s son, that she could see Fred "in the celestial gallery, with Tony, beer in hand ready for the remainder of the six nations".

The funeral will be at 1 pm on Monday the 20th March, at the South Chapel, Cheltenham Crematorium, Bouncers Lane, Cheltenham, GL52 5JT, and afterwards at the Drillsman’s Pub 34 Gloucester Road, Cirencester, GL7 2JY where Fred spent many happy hours.

Fred was a colourful character if you wish to wear colours, whether that be clothes, ties etc, it is probably what he would have wanted. It is a celebration of a colourful life. Family flowers only; donations to diabetes UK,

Colin Kent