THE two great loves of pitman painter Tom McGuinness - his work and his family - dominated his funeral service yesterday.

An unframed painting from the celebrated artist's private collection, a recent work called Miners Passing the Return Wheel, stood beside his coffin, placed on his easel, as mourners arrived led by his sons, Shaun and Anthony.

High above, its vivid blue glass standing out against plain cream walls, was a stunning circular window designed by Mr McGuinness, one of nine he created for St Mary's Roman Catholic Church in his home town of Bishop Auckland, County Durham.

Born in nearby Witton Park and a miner for 39 years, Mr McGuinness spent his life capturing fellow pitmen on canvas and was painting up to his death last week.

Shaun told yesterday's congregation: "His work was his life. He wanted to paint to document what he was doing at work and to make a better life for us.

"For the first few years of my life, I thought he was the lodger. He would come in from work and go straight upstairs to paint.

"He was born into a very poor community in Witton Park and that was always with him in his work.

"He was as happy sitting in the workmen's club, playing dominoes, as in a gallery talking about his work. He had many sides to his character.

"His stories were famous for his wit and delivery. His sense of humour and his love for people will always be with us.

"He loved his family and we loved him to bits, but on a wider scale he will be remembered as a man who documented mining. We will never see his like again."

Mr McGuinness, whose wife Cathy died in 1982, also leaves a daughter, Corinne, and five grandchildren.

An exhibition to honour his 80th birthday will still go ahead in April, in the gallery named after him in Bishop Auckland Town Hall.