Hundreds attend funeral for Northampton homeless man

A piper led the funeral cortege for former homeless man George Watson

Hundreds of people have attended the funeral of a former homeless man who was a well-known figure in his town.

George Murray, 51, lived on the streets of Northampton for about 15 years, and died on 21 September.

More than £6,000 was raised to help pay for his funeral on Sunday.

People gathered for a celebration of his life in the town's Market Square, complete with readings and poems, and many shared their memories of the man who was known to so many.

Mr Murray, who died in hospital, had moved into a flat in the town in 2020 during the coronavirus lockdowns.

George Murray died in hospital in September and lived in Northampton for more than 15 years

His funeral cortege was led by a piper, as Mr Murray was originally from Scotland.

Those attending the service included some who had lived on the streets with Mr Murray, charity workers who had supported him, members of his family from Scotland, and local residents.

Portraits and flowers were placed near the coffin of Mr Murray

Market Square in Northampton was crowded for the service

Laura Verlander, who is part of the Tuesday Night Team group that supports rough sleepers, said: "We'd see him frequently, feed him or just stand and have a chat.

"George was the sort of person who, if he didn't need it, he wouldn't take it.

"So if he wasn't hungry he wouldn't take the food. He'd let somebody else have it.

"He always had a smile for us and a grateful word - a lovely, kind man."

One of his fellow homeless friends, Barry, said: "I loved him to bits - he was a good bloke - at least today everyone's turned out for his funeral."

Stan Robertson, who helped to organise the service, said he hoped it would lead to a greater understanding of people who are homeless.

"If we can all take from this, the concept that every single one of these guys and girls hold the same value and worth as George did, then I think we can see change, we can see a difference to how the guys on the streets feel about themselves, how they believe they can achieve more," he said.

George Murray moved into a flat in Northampton in 2020

Maggie, a member of George's family, who did not wish to give her surname, said the tributes were "overwhelming".

"I'd just like to say thanks to everybody in Northampton," she said.

"We last saw him when he was a young boy of 14 - he'd started a new life, but he's our cousin and we love him - we'll always love him."