Johnny's funeral turned into a rip-roaring celebration on Thursday, with friends from far and wide squeezing into the packed crematorium - it was standing room only. When Graeme Knights launched into Amazing Grace, when Dave and Anni sang, when Jim delivered The Farewell Shanty, when all four polished their voices to When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder, the folk family roared back ALL the songs in perfect harmony. Someone said that the undertakers, who are quite used to a thousand funerals, had never heard of a sending-off like this. When the service was over, when many famous singers (and some not so famous) had queued up in the Pinner Green Workingmen's Club to pay tribute to Johnny, I drove back to South Wales really inspired and elated by all the respect and perfect love that they had bestowed on him.

I drove all the way from Llantrisant with Jim Bartlett riding shotgun. Just before we left, stentorian singer-songwriter Jim sang a shanty he wrote after hearing of Johnny's death, Johnny's Gone Away, and I joined in on the choruses with him. Joyce had a smile on her face. Some funerals make you sad, this one gave you the determination to emulate Johnny and give you his love of singing, his very great knowledge of shanties and the sea and his boundless affection of the folk scene in general. Here's to you, Big Man.