MOURNERS gathered at St Lawrence's Church, Appleby, to pay tribute to the town's highly respected undertaker, Glyn Jones.

The son of a Welsh coal miner, Mr Jones moved to Cumbria in 1979 with his wife Margie and their children Lianne and Hugh, to take over the Bay Horse Inn, at Wigton.

Six years later they moved to Soulby, where Mr Jones took over a private hire taxi firm from Stan Robinson, of Kirkby Stephen. He would hire out a limousine and hearse to the smaller village undertakers, who at the time carried out the role alongside their joinery and carpentry businesses.

Through this, Mr Jones met Jimmy Davies, who was keen to retire as the Appleby undertaker and persuaded him to take over the business. In 1989 the Jones family moved into Battlebarrow, Appleby, after a short time living in Long Marton.

Mr and Mrs Jones, who wed in 1966, worked hard together to build up the business and became well known for providing a warm, caring and professional service. One of the first undertakers locally to wear a top hat and tails, Mr Jones would walk a short distance from the house as a nod to the tradition of an undertaker leading the funeral cortege.

His family recalled: "Glyn was very dedicated to his role in the community, thoughtful and considerate. He always tried to do what was best for the family, and add in extra details to a funeral that were appropriate, to make it personal."

Mr Jones had left school aged 15 to become a mechanic at a local garage. In the early 1970s after moving from Wales to Northampton he joined the Police Special Constabulary, rising to section leader and being commended for bravery in the line of duty following a school break-in.

Outside work, he liked a joke and loved to see humour in everyday life. A "real family man", he loved to tinker with the numerous gadgets he created, and was a regular face at agricultural shows where he would showcase the vintage tractors he bought semi-restored and put the finishing touches to. The Jones family joke that no matter how the restoration had been done, it had to be done "the Jones' way".

A keen darts player, Mr Jones also bred budgerigars from an aviary he built, and liked to sing with daughter Lianne in the Middle Eden Voices choir.

He and his wife had lived at Glebe Close since 2010, close to Lianne, husband Roy Fleming and children Megan and Rhys Whitfield. Son Hugh and wife Lorraine live at Battlebarrow with children Kieran and William Jones. For the past eight years, Hugh has run the family funeral directors.

Sadly Mr Jones was taken ill last November and diagnosed with lung cancer. His funeral was held on June 23 and donations will be given to the Eden Valley Hospice, Carlisle.