Campaigner’s family deck the boughs in his memory
THE family of a late road safety campaigner who loved his festive fun have decorated a Christmas tree in his honour.
Gwyn Picton, 72, of Davenport, passed away earlier this year after suffering a heart attack while he was working on his allotment.
The dad-of-two was well known in the area as he battled to stop lorries ignoring weight restrictions and travelling along Kennerley Road, where he lived.
Following his lobbying police carried out enforcement action on the narrow road to clamp down on the danger.
This week his family have decorated a tree in his memory at the annual Christmas Tree Festival at St George’s Church, in Heaviley.
Daughter Rebecca, 38, said: “We thought it would be a nice way to remember dad, he loved Christmas.
“We put a lot of decorations up in our house and there was a joke that if dad sat there long enough we’d decorate him.
“So we thought we would give him his wish and a lot of people have said what we have done is really nice.
“I think he would be shocked but proud by this. He didn’t really like fuss but he would have liked this.”
Gwyn, who passed away in July, also leaves behind wife Bridget, 68, son Jason, 46, brother Matthew and sister Jean both in their 80s.
The tree has been decorated with things to reflect Gwyn’s love for Manchester City, pride at his Welsh heritage and symbols representing shared family memories.
Rebecca said: “He loved his heritage and background and no one could say a bad word about Wales with him around, he used to go back twice a year.
“He took every day as it comes, was happy-golucky and spoke as he found.
“There we a lot of old people in the flats on our road and dad used to worry about them with the lorries. It’s bizarre but since he passed away there has hardly been any lorries coming down the road.
“He was a very community minded man and to us the best dad in the world.”
St George’s Christmas Tree Festival is a five day event where people or organisations can sponsor trees and then decorate them as they wish.