Frank Thompson, a highly respected member of Britain's traveller community, was laid to rest in a six-figure solid gold coffin after a week-long farewell tour in a Rolls-Royce. Thompson, who died of a chest infection at the age of 69 on July 2, was given a lavish farewell by his heartbroken family, where he stopped at several sites in Nottingham and Manchester to pay tributes to his memory.
In spite of the showiness of his funeral, relatives swore that Thompson was "never a flash man." A family friend said the coffin was "stupendous," adding it was imported by Thompson's son from overseas and was delayed for weeks. The showy procession was intended to promote the other side of traveller life and demonstrate that the community appreciates family and achievement.
Initial plans were to simply offer the "best casket" possible but then developed into building a marble tomb around the coffin of Thompson in a south London cemetery, which will take a year to finish. The family described the ceremony as also paying respect to Thompson's status as the head of a big traveller family, on whom everyone looked up.
Before his death, Thompson diversified his father's tarmacking firm into a thriving business with multiple branches globally. Evidenced by his no-nonsense approach to business and his wisdom, he inspired other people in his society to be entrepreneurial and family-centered. He also donated to children's causes and had ambitions to construct an orphanage overseas.
During the funeral procession, the family went to where Thompson had had businesses, and where other members of his family and friends were buried. He was finally laid to rest on July 29, finally bringing closure to a devastated family and society. Thompson was remembered as a man with a "heart of gold," who cherished the well-being of his family as well as that of the traveller community.
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Thompson's funeral is just one of a mounting number of celebrity-studded funerals among Britain's traveller group. Terry Collins, brother of another "traveller King" Willy Collins, was buried alongside his brother's humongous 37-ton marble headstone in Sheffield last October. Terry's funeral involved a platinum coffin, a Rolls-Royce-escorted procession, and lavish floral arrangements, including life-sized cutouts of the deceased.
Willy Collins, the so-called "traveller King of Sheffield," had also been buried before in a 22-carat gold coffin and a £200,000 marble tombstone, accompanied by a horse-drawn hearse, hundreds of mourners in velvet coats, and dozens of Rolls-Royces. His monument, complete with statues, LED lighting, and a solar-powered jukebox, caused controversy with Sheffield City Council regarding breaches of planning permission.
Both Thompson's and the Collins family funerals are representative of the focus on family, community standing, and cultural heritage within Britain's traveller culture. Whereas some see the displays as lavish, they are representative of the respect and admiration shown to patriarchs within the community.
Thompson's family made efforts to continue his work, with his son and close associates inheriting the family business. Their goal is to uphold the principles he instilled hard work, largesse, and pride in traveller identity so that his legacy will be inherited for generations to come.
