Tributes paid to Stratford Christmas Lights founder

Perhaps Ron’s most long lasting contribution to the town came when he with fellow guesthouse owner Ernie Coulston took the lead in raising funds to pay for the town’s Christmas lights.

Today the lights display in Stratford is considered amongst some of the best in the country, and serves as a lasting legacy to Ron’s hard work in getting the idea off the ground.

Ron’s son Clive said: “My father was always very proud of Stratford, his roots in the town go back many generations. He set up the Christmas lights with Ernie Coulston and later Mick Love and I used to see him welding bits and pieces and picking up lights from across the area. He wanted to do something for the community and brighten Stratford up and he really did that. I feel very proud about what he managed to achieve.

“Dad was a bantamweight boxing champion in the RAF and his passion was cars, he used to race and I got to meet Graham Hill and Jackie Stewart with him, he inspired me to race motocross.”

Ron’s funeral was held on Wednesday at St Andrews Church in Stratford and donations were taken in aid of the charity Dementia UK.