Hundreds of mourners gathered in Hanworth yesterday (Thursday) to say their last goodbyes to a much-loved local figure.

Aaron Smith, who passed away aged 69, was a father of six and grandfather of 32, with one of his sons being 'Gyspy Joe' Smith.

While Aaron was a sports nut who loved his football, boxing and horse racing, he never took playing any as seriously as Joe, who is a professional golfer and former London bare knuckle boxing champion.

Much loved: Hundreds of mourners make their way

He did play golf, and also played in goal for Middlesex, but according to Joe, preferred to watch his sport and was a mad keen Brentford fan.

Joe said: “Dad came from a fighting family but preferred a drink to a fight, and everybody he met loved him. He was known as the Big Easy.

“He was a proud Englishman so we had his favourite England flag to take with him, as well as a pint of his favourite Guinness.

Favourite things: A pint and horse racing are represented in the flowers

“His first sports event as the 1956 FA Cup final at Wembley, the one where Bert Trautmann broke his neck, and he loved Bert because he was a keeper.”

The funeral cortege went from Aaron's home in South Road to St Richards C of E Church in Forge Lane before the burial at Hounslow Cemetery, where Queen's The Show Must Go On was played as the coffin was lowered.

Meanwhile, click here to read about Joe's venture into the world of retro hickory golf, and here to read a review of Joe's autobiography.