A touching farewell to Robert

THE MEN and women of the soil gathered at hedgerows to say farewell to one of their own…

At 41, Farmer Robert Matthew Holroyd was making his last journey to be buried in his own green, green grass of home.

His flower-decked coffin, cradled on a bright yellow trailer and towed by his favourite tractor, trundled down the long and winding lane to his farmhouse home.

Here, his parents, their children, grandchildren and friends gathered to pay their final respects to the father of three.

Earlier, at a thronged service at St Thomas Church at Moorside, Robert was remembered with affection and touching tributes.

His youngest daughter Amy, bravely holding back tears, recited a poem, adding simply: “I am not happy you have gone…”

And David Macdonald, Robert’s sister Jane’s godfather, said: “Robert was unique. He has a free spirit and always took time out to help people.

“All he ever wanted to be wanted to be was a farmer. One of his form teachers at Doctor Lane School wrote to the family saying she had great affection for him but said he found school an unnecessary chore. ”

And he spoke of Mr Holroyd’s determination to fight the cancer which so tragically killed him, declaring: “He was brave, courageous and independent.”

It was Robert’s grandparents who first moved to the 22-acre farm at Strinesdale in 1953 and then his parents, Jacqueline and Robert, moved in when they married in 1970 operating a dairy farm.

Robert junior, who developed business interests with farming machinery and demolition, was popular across Saddleworth’s widespread but closely-knit farming community.

And they turned out in force in a convoy of 4x4s and farm vehicles to pay their respects.

Fellow farmer and school friend, Bernard Sykes, 55, from Springhead, drove Robert’s tractor and the trailer on its return journey from the church to Robert’s final resting place.