A brass band played a memorial service for a well loved man who passed due to Covid.

Paul Sanders, from Cockermouth, passed away in April 2020 from Coronavirus, at age 74, in the West Cumberland Hospital.

The brass band, called the Cockermouth Mechanics Brass Band, conducted the service last Saturday on October 23, as they could not gather to celebrate his life at the time due to health concerns related to Covid.

A spokesperson from the Cockermouth Mechanic Brass Band said: "His musical life embraced being a church organist and playing Eb Bass with the band - a lovely, gentle man with a unique sense of humour.

"At his memorial service there were tributes spoken, his granddaughters sang, the band played and the Castlegate Singers Choir sang.

"Everyone gave of their best."

Speaking fondly of Paul Sanders, the secretary and librarian of the Cockermouth Mechanics Brass Band, John Wilson, said: "First and foremost, he was a fantastic supporter of his wife, Wendy Sanders.

"He would always turn up to play the organ, for services and funerals, whenever it was needed of him.

"He never charged people for playing the organ. and he played with the Cockermouth Mechanics Brass Band for a very long time.

"He was a big man, but he was also a gentle man, you might even be able to refer to him as a gentle gentleman.

"He always had a kind word to say of everyone, but he also had a very quirky sense of humour."

John Wilson also took the time to explain more into the history of the Cockermouth Mechanics Brass Band.

He explained: "I have always played music of all kinds.

"The Cockermouth Mechanics Brass Band is one of the four oldest brass bands in the country, started in 1825 and still very much functioning and running to this day.

"The mechanics, as referred to in the name, were the engineers who maintained the looms in the Millers Factory, and they, like many other institutions, represented the workers."

John also gave thanks to Sarah Cannon, who is a music teacher and a tremendous asset, and who is the conductor of the band.

The memorial service was filmed and posted to YouTube, and is viewable by visiting https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-72XtuOnmAk.