busker toy mic trev’s final goodbye
LEGENDARY Cardiff busker Trevor Rees has been laid to rest – and in death, as he was in life, he was surrounded by song.
The Rhondda Valley and the slopes of Treorchy Cemetery were his final stage as the man known as Toy Mic Trev was reunited with the love of his life – his wife Maureen.
Buried next to Little Mo, as she was affectionately known, the man with the distinctive toy mic, who died earlier this month aged 80, was surrounded by the people he called “family” – the members of his church, Emmanuel Christian Fellowship in Ystrad.
As he was lowered into his final resting place, those close friends from the church sang a stirring rendition of the hymn Blessed Assurance.
Trev’s death comes just four months after he returned to his old busking spot in Queen Street for one last performance.
Earlier, in an emotional service at his church, his friend and pastor Terence Gregory, paid a heartwarming tribute.
A lone bible was placed on an empty chair in the second row of the congregation to denote Trev’s seat at the church and a large screen was adorned with an image of the busker with his trademark smile and the words “Bless you Trev”.
“To some of us he was the little man who used to stand outside Boots in Cardiff, with a little toy mic,” said Terence.
“He would sing like an angel. To them he was known as Toy Mic Trev. I’m sure over the years everybody in South Wales would have seen him or heard of him. Everybody will have their own Trev story. He brightened up so many people’s days, and touched the lives of all of us.
“His final performance when he returned to the streets of Cardiff delighted thousands. Messages came from as far away as New Zealand and Canada. This little man, this to all intents and purposes insignificant little man, touched so many lives in the way that he presented himself. He loved every minute of that day. On Sunday night after he had returned to Cardiff we were privileged to have this world famous singer in our congregation and he wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity of letting us know.
“To some he was Toy Mic Trev, to us he was just Trev, a very special person. He was our friend and we will miss him greatly. You can say so many things about Trev, you can be here all day talking about him. He came into our lives about 12 years ago and immediately endeared himself to everybody and everybody immediately loved him.
“He was a bubbly yet vulnerable person and everyone took him to their hearts. He’s been a treasure here. He’s been loving to everyone and his singing has been out of this world. It’s been a pleasure to have known him.
“We’re all going to miss his voice. Even when he was ill his voice rang out above anyone else’s. He was the type of person who wouldn’t sing a simple melody he wanted to be different and stand out. His harmonies were through the roof. It was like a sound from heaven. It was absolutely wonderful. “He sat next to my mother. We lost her a few months ago, so it’s been even more emotional today losing the two of them in the same row.” Terence’s wife, Pauline, a former warden at Llys Nazareth sheltered accommodation in Pentre where Trev lived, became his close friend and cared for him in his final years. She said: “I miss picking him up, I miss the chats we’d have in the car and I miss him hurrying me up to take him home so he could listen to his radio. String Of Pearls on Radio Wales was his favourite show. “He was a friend to me and I was a friend to him. He said to me on more than one occasion, ’Pauline, I don’t know what I’d do without you,’ which was lovely.” It is four months since he made an emotional return to Queen Street, 10 years or so after he last sang there. A month or so later, he returned again. Having last been seen there around 2007, he was delighted to have been found and overwhelmed by the reaction to his story. Just after celebrating his 80th birthday in March, he sang on Queen Street as a small crowd looked on. He said at the time: “I would love to return for one last performance. I’ve been overwhelmed by the response to the story. “It means so much to me that people remembered me and enjoyed my songs. I couldn’t believe the reaction. “I haven’t stopped smiling.”