In 34 pictures and video: Hundreds turn out for funeral procession of legendary Sussex Bonfire Boy

John, who was 72, and lived in Hastings, sadly died in October after suffering a stroke. The funeral procession made its way down All Saints Street, past the Stag pub, where John was a regular. It then moved along Rock-a-Nore Road, past the Fishermen’s Museum and up the High Street, passing The Jenny Lind, another of John’s favourite watering holes.

Fireworks were let off during the procession in memory of John.

The funeral service outlined John’s incredible achievements in keeping the bonfire tradition alive in Sussex. He was responsible for the revival of the bonfire tradition in Hastings in 1995 when he bet Keith Leech that he couldn’t get the bonfire going in Hastings again. When Keith accepted the challenge, John then shared his extensive knowledge of torch making and bonfire building to ensure it was a success.

John was also a founder of the Robertsbridge Bonfire, being the first to donate a sum of money, and was a key figure in the success of bonfire revival in Rye. He even founded his own bonfire society The Whatlington Renegades, who later became Renegade Pyrotechnics, responsible for many of the big fireworks displays across Sussex.

John was also one of the bogies – the green men who guard the Jack in the Green at the big May Day celebrations in Hastings. The Stag pub, in All Saints Street, was decorated in greenery in his memory and his fellow bogies joined the procession and helped to carry his casket into the chapel.

John single-handedly revived the old winter tradition of wassailing apple trees in East Sussex after his wife Liz planted an apple tree at his local pub The Royal Oak in Whatlington for his birthday. He later held wassail ceremonies at Rye Foreign, Near Rye. Thanks to him the tradition is still going strong with several local events including a big one in the village of Icklesham, outside Hastings, every January.

The service told how John was a free spirit with a profound sense of justice and fairness and would always champion the underdog. He was a keen supporter of live music in pubs and was involved in many local music festivals over the years, including the Black Horse Festival and the Big Green Cardigan Festival.

He was a proud Sussex man who grew up in Battle attending Battle and Langton School and then Claverham College. Battle has the longest running bonfire tradition in Sussex and John was attending the bonfire from a very early age.

Following the funeral, around 400 people gathered at the East Hastings Angling Club, on the Stade, to share memories of John.

Pictures by Andrew Clifton.

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