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Horse and cart ‘send off’ for John
John Robinson
A HORSE and cart tribute will be paid to a “lion-hearted” scrap dealer at his funeral on Friday.
John Robinson, of Robinson’s Scrap Yard, Easington Colliery, lost his battle with throat cancer after fighting the disease valiantly for about a year.
In the “perfect tribute” to the 72-year-old, his loving family have organised for two horses and carts to follow the horse-drawn hearse carrying his coffin to the church service.
Today, John’s younger brother, Gerald Robinson, 59, a father-of-four, said it is a gesture his brother would have wanted.
“Our family has been in the scrap trade for decades and we know this is what our John would have wanted,” he said.
“He was a good lad and I looked up to him for the way he’s battled on.
“He had a heart like a lion, he never gave in, never ever.
“He’ll be sadly missed by his family and friends and all those who knew him in the village and the area.
“He was well known, he was a proper character.”
John, of Easington Colliery, went to Easington Colliery Junior school, and Horden RC School, before leaving at the age of 15 to work in the coal mine.
He started work at the scarp yard, at Holme Hill Lane Allotments, in Easington Colliery, which was opened in the 1940s by his late father, John Robinson senior, at just 17 years old and went out on the horse and carts himself.
As the years went by the dad of three, who was married to Margaret, spent more time running the busy yard “which everyone went to”, and would go on to spend the rest of his working life there.
When he was 43-years-old, John (pictured) suffered a serious accident at the yard which left him with injuries that would last him a lifetime.
But, he battled on and continued running the business, with the help of his family, even caring for his horses, hens and dogs at the yard, up until a year ago when he was diagnosed with cancer.
He lost his fight for life on Sunday, at 3am, at the University Hospital of Hartlepool.
Gerald, of Easington Village, added: “He fought on for nearly 30 years after the accident in the yard, it was amazing.
“Everybody knows that. He’s done the same for the last year. He’s at peace now though.”
John’s funeral will be held at 11.30am at the Our Lady RC Church, in Easington Colliery, prior to internment in the village cemetery.
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Weather for Hartlepool
Monday 28 May 2012
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Temperature: 9 C to 22 C
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