By the death of Will Dallimore on 27th December 2024, Badsey has lost a real village character – he was truly a one-off. A full appreciation of his life will appear shortly but, in the meantime, here is the poem composed and read by Brian Smith at Will’s funeral on 21st January 2025. Brian and Will were partners in crime, working together on a number of projects and appearing at various events. Working with Will was a laugh a minute.
A Will to make us Smile
Real village characters are rare these days,
They were once ten a penny.
Will was Badsey’s very last,
Now he’s left us without any.He rarely failed to make you smile
After some witty remark.
A master of gentle sarcasm,
To Will, life was just a lark.He was a man of many talents,
Making films he found was fun.
He created many characters,
And became well-known for one.This was the man on a flying fork,
Will’s creation, called Doug Deep,
Who flew around Vale villages,
Often landing in a heap.Will joined a ukulele group
After teaching himself to play,
And became a leading member,
I think I heard him say.Then he became the Editor
Of our parish magazine,
Until bruising a few egos.
He was the best there’s ever been.And he also wrote some poems
Where his humour would shine through.
Here’s a verse from my favourite one,
Which I will read you to.
The poem was about the people who lived on Horsebridge Avenue in the 1960s. Will named all of the families, 74 of them. Then he said that in recent times, he only knew a handful of them. He went on to say of the 74 in characteristic Will style:
There aren’t many of them left, you.
They’ve gone their different ways,
Some went down to Australia
And some went down Green Leys.* * * * *
Will was frugal with his spending,
He would admit to being mean.
The colour of Will’s money
Was hardly ever seen.When he became the Treasurer
Of The Badsey Society,
He said, “They knew what they were doing
When they appointed me.I’ve got the finest credentials
That they could wish to find.
I can claim to be as tight
As a proverbial duck’s behind!”With money always careful,
But with his time, generous and free,
Wherever help was needed,
There Will would usually be.Some called him “Captain Clonky”,
Well named by Linda Core.
It’s so sad that Captain Clonky
Will be heard to clonk no more.It was a privilege to know him,
He was liked by everyone.
Will was Badsey from head to toe,
I can’t believe he’s gone.
Brian Smith, January 2025