Broadwindsor’s Square was full this morning as people gathered to bid farewell to David Leader. The cortège, led by a Landrover, drove through the village transporting David in an eco-coffin with the flag of his beloved Bristol City F.C. draped over it.
Following the beautiful and emotional service at Yeovil, Elaine Leader bravely addressed approx. 200 people who had gathered, inside and out at the Comrades Hall to celebrate David’s life. Having recently tested positive for Covid, Elaine gave her apologies for ‘keeping her distance’, thanked everybody for their prayers, good wishes, flowers and messages of support and managed to meet with some people afterwards.
Following Elaine, two very good friends of David‘s delivered their tributes, with words which many could relate to.
First to speak was Craig Lynham:
I can honestly say this is one of the hardest and most difficult things I’ve ever had to do… trying to condense all of the achievements and character traits of Mr. Leader into 5 minutes… so apologies if it goes on for hours… blame David!!!
Shortly after I moved into the village over 16 years ago, there was a real buzz of excitement as rumours spread that the ex-professional Irish boxer, Barry McGuighan was moving into the village… turns out Barry was none other than David! At the time, it was such a disappointment to me as Barry was a childhood hero of mine… but in retrospect I can honestly say in my eyes, David superceded him… he was a much loved friend who was truly inspirational and he shaped my attitude to what you can achieve with the finite time we have.
He was a unique character, full of positivity and zest for life. You always got a cheery greeting no matter what, rain or shine, “A bit of a wet one!” he would boom in his distinctive baritone voice. A rainy day couldn’t dampen his joy for life… Growing up, Ryan and Rosie and my children knew this all too well, “You’d never get anything done, if you worried about the rain and getting wet” the human DavNav (as he was fondly nicknamed) would say, as he dragged the tired, soaking wet kids around the numerous cities and museums we visited for a long weekend or half term breaks. “Can we get a bus DavNav?”, “It’s only a few more hundred yards“… everything we ever visited was always just a few more hundred yards away or around the next corner!. But it was always so much fun and I will remember those times fondly.
Providing it didn’t cost anything… David was the most generous person I’ve ever known. In a world where we know the price of everything and the value of nothing, his generosity with his time was second to none. Always thinking how he could help others, his actions spoke volumes. There was never a moment he wasn’t organising at least one project to help the community, on top of working in the school, delivering food from the village store and working Friday nights with the Samaritans.
Nothing was too much for David apart from when we went on holiday together as families to Austria… and we had ‘Peppergate’. “In return for the fabulous meal we had at yours, I’m going to make your favourite meal – salad, stuffed peppers and cheese!” he claimed. At the supermarket, he discovered he needed 9 peppers in all, at 1 Euro each… all I can say is it was the best salad and chips we’ve ever had!
David was my best friend who I loved to bits. He was wonderful to be around with his love of conversation, his charisma and mischievous sense of humour. Bumping into Bill Nighy in the toilets of the Savoy hotel on a London trip, he asked him for a photo… “I’d rather wait until we’re outside.” Nighy replied; feeding a family of 4 in a Premier Inn, while only paying for one… appeared almost Biblical. And if you were ever asked to describe him, you’d just say the moustachio guy wearing the paint splattered, green jumper… I’ve since applied for a Preservation Order due to it’s cultural and historical significance.
Over the last few years David developed a real love of cycling, although funnily enough, not the Lycra. His first big achievement was completing the Air Ambulance Coast To Coast ride, 50 odd miles, and without any training or even a bike… until he borrowed one on the day. From then on, he’d regularly go out with Elaine, myself and our village cycling group… which I think is the only group he wasn’t the Chairman of…
Recently, I lost my Mum after a short battle with cancer, something David had experienced a few years ago. And drawing on his own situation, David was a great source of support and advice to me at that difficult time. Keeping it simple and focused on the now, as he always did, he said “With the time you have left, tell her how much you love her… tell her how much you love her and… tell her how much you love her.”
His absence will leave a great hole in the community he loved, but David was never one to dwell on the past, he’d face it, take comfort from it and move forward. I will miss him immensely and always think of the fun times we shared together, the many bike rides, the Christmas quiz battles and the drinks in the evenings with conversations about football politics and things that mattered to us.
I will miss his amazing spiirit and my heart goes out to Elaine, who is also my dear friend and Rosie, Ryan and Christian. So we can raise our glasses or cups of tea to David, in gratitude to all his achievements and for just being a great person and brilliant friend… to David.
Next to speak was Rob Hedditch:
I first met David at Broadwindsor school when we were both picking our children. We got chatting and that was it – we got on well from the outset and it was clear to me that his interest was making things run as smoothly as they could. It was in this area particularly that he excelled.
As all our kids progressed through school, he took a keen interest in them and how they were doing, encouraging them where he could, enjoying their successes and bolstering them when things didn’t go quite to plan. One outstanding case in point that I remember was a football match at Broadwindsor School. It ended as a draw but there had to be a clear winner. I can’t remember the outcome but I was really impressed by David’s use of fair minded diplomacy to ensure the conclusion of the game in the proper format. He coached the boy’s football team, knowing the boys well. They clearly thought a great deal of him because whenever I watched them, they played their hearts out for him.
David had vision. He could get us involved and fully behind anything and we will all put our best into whatever it was, happily. His projects were legendary. He was chairman of Broadwindsor School PTA and played a significant role with the Hursey Common initiative. He helped get The Common back into shape. A mower was provided and access improved and a path down to the car park was cleared. I think David was the first to introduce me to diplomatic wit. His sense of humour was sharp and dry and could be put to good use getting over some political hitch that might have cropped up in some PTA business or such. His patience was unmatched, as shown on many occasions, in particular during the chairmanship of the Community Land Trust. David was a community man. He got people together, got them interested and then got things done for the good of the community. This is clear by what he has achieved within the parish, as a parish councillor, for the village hall, setting up the White Lion as a community pub, the MUGA, the CLT and probably many other things that I don’t even know about.
He helped us with getting the kids to school and whenever he put an idea forward, he always gave more than he asked for. With all of his projects going on, he still mamaged to convert his stables and cottage into holiday lets, with help from Steve Strawbridge, also extending the front of his house very smartly.
David was a farmer. He had sheep, goats and two pigs. I can remember going to see him one afternoon and he was keen to tell me that Mike Frampton had let him put his ewes in with Mike’s rams under Lewesdon hill. Nothing untoward about that you might think, but then he made a funny calling sound across the road to them from his drive which was rewarded with several ‘Baaas’ from under the hill. I can remember David asking me to have a look at his pigs. Two prime specimens. These truly rotund porkers were doing so well, they could barely walk as they were so fat. I cautiously enquired as to the diet they were on, “Cake!” he said “They love it.”
David was a family man and was keen to help them see as much of the world and its cultures. It was great to drop in and see him. Always welcoming, the first thing he would say is “Rob, come in. would you like a cup of tea?” He would then scratch around trying to find some sugar. It was never five minutes, it was more like an hour, chatting about this and that, perhaps some suitable ironwork to hold up a beam somewhere in his house. Whenever I visited I would see Elaine, or Ryan or Rosie, or all of them. Each great company, they were a team and it was obvious that David was extremely proud of them, sharing interests such as football and art.
David was a great friend to many people and this was clearly shown when he had something big that needed doing. He may say to me “What are you doing on Saturday morning Rob? Only I could do with some help getting those oak beams into my field shelter“. I would turn up and find about 15 chaps already there giving him a hand. People helped him willingly, because he had probably already helped them.
David was a really good friend of mine. I have read several tributes from various people and groups. Phrases such as ‘Force for good’, ‘A larger-than-life figure in our community who gave so much and asked for nothing in return.’ really sum up the character of the modest man we all new and loved. I can truly say that you will be greatly missed and will be remembered with great affection by us all.
As he had promised David he would sing it in the White Lion for him when it opened, Ken Bodycombe then took to the microphone to sing ‘Wild Rover‘ encouraging others to join in the chorus.
Small packets of forget-me-not seeds were left out for people to take and sow in memory of David. The packets had a favourite quote from Mahatma Gandhi on the back:
“See the good in people and help them.”
The funeral service can still be viewed by clicking HERE and using the details:
Username: hiya4579 & Password: 968912.
David Leader, 24.11.1957 – 13.03.2022
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