Pipers and flowers for Tommy's farewell

May 31 2006 By Neil Elkes, Birmingham Mail

A CITY florist who married his sweetheart despite being terminally ill has died nine months after their wedding.

And yesterday bagpipers led a funeral parade of more than 100 mourners as Tommy Beacall was laid to rest.

The procession for popular Tommy set off from his shop, The Rock florist's in Flaxley Road, Stechford, and headed for the farewell service at All Saints Church, Albert Road.

Tommy, an accomplished accordion player, was just 55 when he died from lung cancer almost two weeks ago.

Last summer he hit the headlines when he married Janet Brown, aged 58, despite being warned by doctors that he had just months to live.

Speaking at the time, Janet said: "Tommy found out he had only three to six months to live, but instead of getting down about it, he went straight to the vicar and arranged the wedding."

Tommy was known throughout the city for his charity work, music lessons and organising colourful floats for Birmingham's St Patrick's Day and St George's Day parades.

A trio of Irish pipers led yesterday's cortege, with Tommy's coffin, draped in a Union Flag, placed in a horse-drawn carriage.

And a sea of floral tributes, accompanied by farewell messages from friends and family, were laid outside his shop.

Wife Janet and family members led the mourners to the church which only last August hosted the couple's wedding.

On that happy day more than 500 guests crowded into the church to hear Tommy and Janet make their vows. It was such a large turnout that police officers were called to marshal the wedding.

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