The funeral of much-loved Tenby character David Crockford took place today (Friday, September 24), at Parc Gwyn Crematorium, Narberth

Aged 85, David of Leachway, Tenby, slipped away peacefully on Sunday, September 12 at Withybush Hospital with his family by his side.David was born on January 31, 1936 in Cresswell Street Tenby to Billy and Phyllis Crockford. His sister Betty arrived six-and-a-half years later.

As his father Billy spent most of his early years in the merchant Navy, David spent his formative years being smothered in love, others might use the phrase spoilt rotten, by his mother and Grandfather Frank, both of whom worked on the parenting principal of ’Let the boy do what he wants’. Amongst other things, Pa would take him on his trawler, tying him by a rope to the mast to stop him falling overboard and hanging him over the side in the harbour to teach him to swim.

David was devoted to Mother and Pa who he always described as his hero, never missing the opportunity to tell the tale of Pa sinking a submarine in WW1 and being awarded the freedom of the borough and a DSM.

He went to Tenby Council school where, despite a tour deforce as a bubble boy in the school play, and his uncanny ability to mimic the teachers it was felt that leaving at the earliest possible opportunity would be best for all concerned, so at 14 he left school and his Uncle Bertie got him a job in the Post Office. Four years later he was called up for national service and joined the Army, by the time he was discharged, two years later, there was barely a stone in Germany that he had not painted white, many a time his cousin Pat went to visit him, occasionally he was not on a charge. However, the army, and this might come as no surprise, gave him his driving licence on the strict understanding he would never attempt to join up again.

David then returned to the post office, this did not go entirely to plan, and after an unfortunate incident involving the traditional posties Christmas toast and David’s mail bag sailing down the ritec it was felt it might be time to seek his fortune elsewhere.

With the help of Uncle Bertie, David acquired, the Maggie Ann a Mackerel fishing boat with a licence for twelve and seating for six, he then went on to buy the Seeker mostly because the wheelhouse was bigger.

In the winter he transformed into Abel seaman Crockford of the merchant navy, on one occasion going to Canada with his his cousin Pat, where due to yet another unfortunate incident involving a mud wrestling bar, and a misunderstanding between David’s change and the wresters tips he was escorted off the premises covered in mud but with the change in his pocket.

In 1973, following the untimely death of his father Billy he took on the Seren-y-mor in the Caldey pool, he immediately painted all the boats varnish and brass to keep it safe and for the next 40 years spent his summers on the Caldey boats in stiff competition with Jimmy to be the top VGB .

Throughout his life his first passion was fishing be it netting, trawling, or mackereling, the early mornings pottering out to the nets accompanied by the noise of the seagull engine, the rowing back when it had broken down, the evening stillness when heading back from sea with baskets full of fish, the joy of getting his sons and grandchildren to haul in the nets because he had to steer, these were some of his most fondest times, none more than the time he caught the biggest lobster he had ever seen around the back of Caldey, which years later when Mo asked him what his most precious memory was, catching the lobster trumped all.

The only time he ever asked for a hand from the unseen was when out fishing around the back of Caldey a storm came in and such was the ferocity that for the first time he thought all was lost, after battling for hours he called for Frank and Billy to help him out, the sea calmed, and he managed to make it to shelter.

He told William years later it was always good to have a backup, so when he was gone if any of the family needed a hand just give him a shout and he would see what he could do.

In the winter he would make his own trawls using his grandfather’s equipment which led to him being in court as his nets didn’t quite match new fishing regulations.

He explained to the lady magistrate that times were hard, and he hadn’t got around to buying a new mesh gauge, but he would now, and soon the new cod end would be in place, so in his words ‘he was only a little bit guilty’ the magistrate shook her head in despair and the case was dismissed.

David was not entirely keen on authority, and went to some length to avoid it, which might explain why there was a pizza box at the bottom of the freezer stuffed with old five-pound notes, socks would occasionally rattle with loose change and why the board of trade man always left him and Raymond till last, as he was always speechless after dealing with them.

As a young man he played football where his goalkeeping prowess was almost legendary, he was nicknamed ‘Crock the cat’, some say it was because he leapt like a cat, others because he spent all his time crawling to the back of the net to get the ball.

When Laura arrived he reprised his role as the cat and would get her to take penalties until he saved one, this could go on for quite some time.

David also played rugby for Tenby Seconds, once when scoring a try he rushed up to Mo to check she had seen him score, when she confessed, she had missed it he went on to describe how he had picked up the ball from behind his own try line and ran past the oppositions sidestepping and swerving like a dervish running the entire length of the pitch before diving under the posts for the try of the season. Moving swiftly on

In the sixties, he became a keen golf player spending time with amongst others his close friend Michael Web, Roy Young and Tom Griffiths with whom, in the1965-66, season they won the winter league Rabbits’ championship being undefeated in 15 matches, there is an in-depth report of another Championship match supplied by Roy involving Messer’s William’s and young v Salty Crockford and Waring which decorum prevents me from going into more detail,

David was a lifelong supporter of Tenby Rugby club he went to see Tenby at most home games, first in the company of his great uncle Victor and Bertie, then with son Alun and later grandson William and daughter-in-law Sharon and Mo , his proudest moments being watching William play for the firsts and winning the Pembrokeshire cup.

He met Mo at a young farmers dance, quite what he was doing there nobody knows, and as she said, ‘he came over to talk to me and it was the sparkly eyes that did it!’

They married on November 10, 1959 their first home being a caravan on Mo’s fathers farm then with David’s gran in Cresswell street and eventually to Leachway where they lived for over 50 years.

In March 1961 their first son Alun was born, followed swiftly by Philip in May 1962, David’s approach to parenting was strictly based around the principals his mother had taught him, namely let them do what they want, it will all be fine and when his grandchildren William, Laura, Isabelle Tudor and Lydia arrived he used the same approach, never happier than playing with them, Doddy as William named him, used to arrive armed with as many sweets and biscuits as he could carry intent on causing as much mayhem as possible and with great grandchildren Anna, Honey, Elvie and Thea turning up he was planning to cause the same chaos with them.

In later life he acquired William’s dog Coco, some might say it was an elaborate plan to get a dog by subterfuge but whatever the facts he and Coco went everywhere, he even used coco as a driving aid, as David’s eyes were a bit dodgy, he trained Coco to bark once to turn left and twice for right and if in doubt follow the car in front, this mostly went well.

David and Coco had a strict regime, first they would go down the harbour to see great friends Charles and John and the rest of the harbour boys, then tea, sometimes in the stores sometimes in the café, then off for a walk around the harbour, lunch, going to the allotment, which gave him so much pleasure, more tea, off to see the grandchildren, then back home for dinner and more tea!

David would be the first to say he had a damn good innings, as he said to Charles, he had 84 good years out of 85, most of them spent down the harbour, fishing, going back and fore to Caldey, and hanging around in the stores,

He was fortunate enough to do everything he wanted in the company of friends and family and always with and smile on his face, in fact virtually his last words, spoken to William were: “everything has been perfect”.

He passed away surrounded by his family with, as always, a smile on his face utterly contented and at peace.

Much loved down the harbour, David was a Tenby man through and through and will be greatly missed by his family and many friends.

Personal Tribute from his son Philip...

Dad was always the perfect father, grandfather and friend, making time for us all. He would pop over to visit me and his surrogate daughter Sharon most days when we would set the world to rights with the aid of a cup of tea.

A few weeks ago, when I told dad I wouldn’t be able to go to his funeral, he replied typically, ‘I don’t blame you, I don’t want to go either!’