HUNDREDS BID FAREWELL TO ‘THE PEOPLE’S FIRST MINISTER’ RHODRI
AT 11AM yesterday Cardiff Bay fell silent to remember a man who will go down in history as one of Wales’ greatest sons.
The funeral of former First Minister Rhodri Morgan was held at the Senedd, in Cardiff Bay.
Family, friends, political friends and foes, and constituents were among the hundreds who attended.
The Senedd itself was full, with hundreds more gathering outside to listen as the service was broadcast via speakers.
People passing the Senedd also stopped to pay tribute to a man whose contribution to Welsh political life cannot be overstated.
In keeping with the couple’s humanist beliefs, his widow, Julie, said she wanted the service to be a celebration of his life. Songs, poems and music filled the building during the two-hour ceremony.
There were tears of sorrow and tears of laughter as memories of Rhodri were shared.
His coffin, which was draped with a Welsh flag, was carried in to the Senedd by members of his family.
His wife of 50 years, Julie, their three children and eight grandchildren were all present.
His coffin reposed at the front of the foyer next to a painting of Rhodri and his beloved dog, Tel.
His grandsons wore rugby and football shirts as a nod to their grandfather’s passion for Welsh sport.
For a man as passionate about Wales being an economic powerhouse of sport, it was more than apt that surrounding the Senedd preparations for the Champions League final continued.
The service was led by humanist celebrant and former AM Lorraine Barrett.
She said the strength of feeling for Rhodri was reflected in the numbers who had attended.
“I think it’s demonstrated how much he was revered and respected by the numbers of people here today.
“When people met him, they never forgot him. They counted him as a friend.”
Ms Barrett described him as the “People’s First Minister”, recounting how he refused the “trappings of state” that being First Minister brought.
She said he wouldn’t have wanted any “heavy mourning or hand-wringing”.
“He had a very pragmatic attitude to life and to death.
“The whole of Wales and beyond has been shocked and saddened at Rhodri’s sudden death, but however sad it may be it cannot compare to the grief and the shock felt by his family. He and Julie were soulmates for 53 years, having met in 1964 during an election campaign.”
Ms Barrett said: “I know that Rhodri was loved and very much treasured by his children and their partners. He was adored by the grandchildren.”
It was as much about Rhodri Morgan the politician and campaigner, as Rhodri Morgan the husband, father, grandfather and brother.
His “adoring” grandchildren – who knew him variously as Dadcu, Granddad, Bampi or Rhod – stood next to their grandmother in the front row.
The couple’s three children all spoke about their father, with Stuart reading a poem written by his son.
Daughters Siani and Mari had the audience sharing tears of laughter as they recounted their favourite childhood tales of growing up in the Morgan household.
Mari told mourners: “He was always glad to share up the knowledge, of course as a family we didn’t always appreciate this.
“There were a number of times that over the dinner table when you thought, ‘Oh God, someone’s mentioned the Cuban Missile Crisis – we’ll be here for hours’. We would try to employ some sort of diversionary technique to divert the subject to something we knew something about.”
She said that Rhodri would often pick up hitchhikers as the family made their way from south Wales to their holiday caravan in Mwnt.
“Partially because he had a captive audience there, because we never listened to him and it was an opportunity to share his knowledge about all his favourite places in Wales.
“I mean, quite what these unsuspecting backpackers made of this scruffy man, with wild hair and with a van full of kids because it was never just us, but our friends and other family members, and he would speak to them in German and almost certainly knew something about the region they were from.”
Siani shared a story about her “scruffy” dad.
Her sister had been given a doll by a school friend which had long shiny hair. The two sisters cut all the doll’s hair off, but the next day the friend told Mari she had only lent her the doll and she wanted it back.
“So Mari came home distraught because Mari was never one for breaking the rules, and said, ‘she wants the doll back’.
“And Rhod said, ‘Don’t worry, I’ve got an idea.’ And he had Julie, my mam, cut some of his curls off and with the Bostik he