Funerals of girl, man and couple murdered in arena atrocity
SERVICE FOR TEENAGE SWEETHEARTS WHO WERE INSEPARABLE
LIAM Curry and Chloe Rutherford will be ‘together forever,’ hundreds of mourners were told as they gathered to say goodbye to the teenage sweethearts.
The funeral for Liam, 19, and Chloe, 17, murdered in the Manchester Arena bombing, was held yesterday at St Hilda’s Church in South Shields, Tyneside.
Police officers closed the roads nearby as the two matching white coffins adorned in pink and white flowers were carried into the church.
Ed Sheeran’s song ‘Perfect’ – about a young couple in love – was played as pallbearers from Liam’s cricket club, Marsden Cricket Club, slowly walked inside.
Father Chris Fuller led the service and said the teenagers were the ‘image of love.’ “We come lost for words, angry with God, sad, confused, tearful, emotional. But above all this, we come out of love. And it is love that will win.
“For the greatest thing that endures is love.
“Chloe and Liam were, and still are, an image of love.
“Inseparable in life, inseparable in death, inseparable now with the angels of heaven.”
Liam’s younger brother, Zack, bravely gave a moving tribute to his big brother and Chloe, who he called his best friend.
The tragedy came as a double blow for the Curry family after Liam and Zack’s dad, Andrew, died in March following a battle with cancer.
“Liam was there to provide strength and comfort for his mum and family, assuming a new role,” humanist Ian Hunter told the service. “He was the man of the house, there to protect and take care of everyone, that was a mantle he carried with immense dignity and great courage. She was his rock, their love for each other was just getting stronger.”
The couple had planned a future together.
Within two years they had hoped to get a flat together, two years after that they would get married and they had agreed they wanted to start a family of their own together.
Their mums, Caroline and Lisa, had booked Liam and Chloe a surprise holiday to New York at Christmas – a journey they will now never take.
Mr Hunter ended the service and said: “The rest we know. Too tragic, too sad, and here we are now, when we wish we weren’t.
“How to make sense of something that’s never, ever going to make sense?” The two coffins were carried out of the church as a recording of Chloe singing ‘Somewhere Only We Know’ by Keane was played.
Manchester Day parade tribute to those killed:
THIS year’s Manchester Day parade will be led by 22 young people – each holding a balloon – in a tribute to those killed in the Manchester Arena attack.
The group will also carry a banner saying ‘Manchester Remembers,’ to honour the lives of those who died during the devastating bomb blast at the Ariana Grande concert last month.
The youngsters will be followed by emergency service personnel, as a mark of respect for their heroic efforts in the wake of the terror attack.
There will be a few minutes pause before the Manchester Day parade follows, led by lord mayor of Manchester Coun Eddy Newman, Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, and city centre chief Coun Pat Karney. Up to 100,000 visitors are expected to flock to Manchester city centre on Sunday for the parade and, later that day, the Take That concert at the Etihad – and travel bosses are warning them to plan their journeys.
Revellers are being urged to think ahead, with heavy traffic expected on the roads, and public transport likely to be busier than usual.
Extra staff and additional tram and bus services will help things run smoothly and bosses will keep a close eye on the travel network as people arrive in the city.
The parade will begin at 1pm and there will be an array of performances, decorations and food and drink stalls from noon.
Then up to 50,000 music fans are expected at the Etihad Stadium to watch Take That perform their rescheduled tour date.
The size and locations of the events mean that there will be some alterations to public transport – and city centre roads will be subject to a number of closures and route diversions.
Transport for Greater Manchester’s event manager, Ryan Carter, said: “Of course, we are expecting large numbers of people, and our advice is to plan ahead, think about travel options and allow extra time for journeys.”
See the Manchester Day pull-out in today’s M.E.N.