MOURNERS took to the streets to say farewell to a beloved businessman and scouting stalwart today.

A community joined together for the funeral of Tony Carr who died aged 88.

Mr Carr was driven to All Saints Church, in Wheatley Hill, in style with his coffin attached to his forklift truck driven by his son, Jeremy.

The businessman was born at Bishop Auckland Hospital in 1932, to Herbert a deputy at Wheatley Hill colliery and housewife Edith.

Along with his brothers the late Kenneth and Jack and sisters the late Gloria and late Joyce the family were raised at 4 Durham street, Wheatley Hill.

Growing up Mr Carr attended Wheatley Hill infants, junior and senior school and was a keen footballer and athlete.

He left school straight into an apprenticeship with the co-op funeral directors but shortly after decided to enrol at technology night school where he studied construction and brickwork.

His family said he was a natural and quickly became a very accomplished woodworker.

His granddaughter Emily Carr said: “As ever with his typical strong mindedness he decided with only £27 to go into the timer trade on his own, his first premises was a small shop on the front street, calling the business woodcrafts – here they manufactured doors, windows, sheds and greenhouses.”

He also managed to fit a bathroom for his mam Edith, with a back boiler and running hot water, the first on the street.

Thanks to Mr Carr his business thrived in the village and outgrew the premises, moving a few times to bigger premises until eventually building his own joinery manufacturing and machinist workshop which he renamed T. Carr timber merchants.

He was known to be more than generous, allowing customers to pay when they could.

In 1961, Mr Carr married his wife Rita at St Bartholomew’s Church, in Thornley.

The pair had three children, the late Amanda, Jeremy and Victoria. 

Throughout his life, Mr Carr was passionate about the Scouts, something that was picked up by all three children, this served them well for the many family camping trips to Hexham which they enjoyed.

A co-founder and key member of 2nd Wheatley Hill Scout Group, he supplied and helped build what was to be the first Scout headquarters in the country to have a licensed bar.

The family have thanked those who came out to pay their respects.