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Private funeral for Fred
Wednesday 7th November 2007, 11:32AM GMT.
The funeral of Fred the Wolverhampton ring road tramp is taking place next week – and anyone who did not know him personally is being asked to stay away.
The plea was made today by Wolverhampton City Council as it announced the legendary figure’s final farewell would be at Bushbury Crematorium’s West Chapel at 2.30pm next Thursday.
It is thought hundreds may want to attend the service after taking the Polish-born pensioner, whose real name was Josef Stawinoga, to their hearts.
The 86-year-old spent 30 years living on Ring Road St John’s in a tent.
His status became global just months before he died from pneumonia on October 28 when a site on internet phenomenon Facebook was dedicated to him.
Today council spokeswoman Julia Corrigan said the chapel held 80 mourners and once full, the doors would be closed.
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Si has a point in saying why do people feel the need to go to someones funeral they didn’t know and he probably didn’t know them.
Can’t understand why E & S have printed the time and date though? It is a no-news day?
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If they want people to stay away, why advertise the day, time and place of the funeral in the newspaper in the first place, if the council want a private affair then the funeral could have been performed in private and a memorial constructed at his former home at a later date
where people could pay their respects.
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much cheaper that way too…
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PLEASE DONT SHOW UP AT THE “PRIVATE FUNERAL” its just at 2.30pm at blah blah blah and only holds 90 odd people
so if you want to go arrive early
are the express and star trying to get people to go? because if they want a quiet funeral you dont tell anyone
common sense? none used here
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I didn’t know Josef but I and many people respect him. Why? I don’t know but he was a phenomenon and has become part of wolverhampton’s history and will be remember by most dispite your thoughts about him.
Rest in peace Josef
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Who are the council to tell people to stay away. The truth is it is not their business. I think if there are no relatives present then I find it quite in order for people who know him even if they do not know him very well to say goodbye.
He may have lived alone but I do not think the people of Wolverhampton who treasured is memory would want him to be buried without anyone attended is funeral except a couple of council officials.
I have the feeling the the council are getting upperty because a simple tramp has captured the hearts of so many local people
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I’ll be there.
He was an inspiration to me.
God Bless you Fred !!
Why the hell should the council decide who can and can’t go to a funeral?
It makes my blood boil !!
This is Wolverhamptons last chance to say goodbye to someone who has been part of the city’s folklore for the last 30 years.
I hope thousands turn up to Bushbury Crematorium’s West Chapel at 2.30pm next Thursday.
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Why would you go if you dont even know him! Just because you drove past him doesnt mean you know him. Would you go to a funeral for any person you didnt know? I think only those who personally knew him should go not the hundreds who drove past and looked at him as a tourist attraction! I wont be there as i didnt know the man!
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lol can’t see why they didnt hold a full funeral in St Mary’s church next door. Then transported him to the crem. The church is much bigger. And many could go then.
I won’t as I didn’t know him.
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ok so who did know him!! no one! maybe a couple of council ppl, couple of ppl he worked with all those years ago but does that matter? If people feel strongly about it and about paying their respects to the man, whats the problem?
I didnt know him and I drove past his ring road yesterday and got upset to see the council there taking stuff away…
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Rob Wolf,Perhaps they’ve gone for the cheaper option because the council wants as much money left over, for there expences. Lol!!
By the way when is the funeral……was it at Bushbury Crematorium’s West Chapel at 2.30pm Thursday 15th Nov 2007.
May he RIP
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Did anyone know Diana personally?? Yet millions lined the route of her funeral. There are people in Wolverhampton who were touched by Mr Stawinoga and no one has the right to refuse anyone attending his funeral. Whether people knew him or not is not the point. Every person is different in how they mourn or show respect for a fellow being. I say that anyone who feels the need to go should be allowed.
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maybe its reverse psychology.seeing as the council are footing the bill if they issue the date and time and tell you to stay away then they know 100′s will turn up so they wouldn’t have wasted money on an empty crem, and the express and star will have a story to put on the front of their “FRED SOUVENIR EDITION” on friday.
RIP Fred.
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Oh Plllllleeeease Anna, how can you compare him to Diana??? Did he do anything for the public?? Did he do countless charity work, was he part of the royal family? errrrrrrrr…..NO!! Leave him be and let THOSE WHO KNEW HIM attend the funeral
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why can’t we allow Fred to have a funeral in the same way that he lived, quietly & privately? He was withdrawn from the world yet lived in the middle of our city. If most folk were honest – we didn’t know him. Yes, we knew who he was, because we drove past the place chose to live. And as for a memorial – If we had asked the gentleman himself, he would probably have wanted nothing at all. Why not raise money to help people who really are in need & dedicate the project to his memory? How about helping the homeless or those who seek refuge, for whatever reason?
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Mark – Good comment
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Here here Mark!
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He was just a dirty old tramp. He wouldn’t have wanted hundreds of people turning up at his funeral, he wanted a simple life and a simple death.
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HOW DARE U CALL FRED A DIRTY OLD TRAMP. HE WAS A LEGEND. ADAM GET A LIFE. WHERE HAVE U BEEN FOR THE PAST 5 YEARS.. THEY HAVE SET UP A WEBSITE IN MEMORY OF FRED. NOW HOW CAN THAT MAKE HIM JUS A TRAMP. HE WAS MORE THAN A TRAMP, HES A GOD, RIP FRED!
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I realise that I don’t know what I’m talking about and as funerals are public events anyone can attend if they choose to.
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WHOEVER ENTERED NO. 20 IS AN IMPOSTER – I DID NOT WRITE THAT BLOG – I AM THE REAL MISS OPINION!!
FAKE a**!
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No, I am Miss Opinion…. Or Spartacus!
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no fred has gone he will alway be missed and never forgotten let him rest in peace now he in heaven with his sweeping brush
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I repeat myself; he was a tramp. He was not a God. He was a man who chose to drop out of society and live in squalor at the side of a road. You only have to look at the photos of the piles of rubbish and excrement he left behind. Just because someone has a website in their memory doesn’t make them a God! It just means there are a lot of gullible people ready to jump on bandwagons
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i wonder who will attend thje service, someone must go to send him off,
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Me and Scott think Fred was proper fully safe. And he will be greatly missed in the Wolvo area. It was wicked one night when we was coming home from the Light Bar and someone gave him a sattelite dish, even though Sky is rubbish!
RIP Fred/Josef! From all of Wbury/Darlo/Pleck and Telford
(WCC should erect a memorial for the main man!)
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I do not think it matters if Josef was a tramp or not he had an admirable lifestyle by doing is own thing for the last 30 years.
There are not many people who could live in a tent for 30 years in the centre of a ring road and at the same time not cause a nuisance to his neighbours and also live within the law, unless you consider living in the ring road against the law but most people do not.
I find it for once very real that the people of Wolverhampton have been touched and saddened by the passing of Josef and also ready to defend his lifestyle in a market ridden society that we have in 2007.
I am of the opinion that it is far more healthy to mourn the death of a tramp than it is to mourn the death of some daft celebrity of who we know nothing about except from the hype of their publicity agent and their silly attention seeking escapades.
Thanks for your existence Josef and if there is a heaven you deserve a place there more than most of us.
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A funeral is held to honour someone’s passing – I’ve been to funerals of people i didn’t know too. There’s nothing wrong with it, I just wanted to show some respect, which seems to be a thing LACKING in this petty minded world today. You don’t need to know someone to honour their passing with love and respect – get off your potties and grow up for crying out loud.
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He was a tramp and he should not be treated any differant than anyone else,I am glad its all over now,so we wont hear anymore about him,he chose to live like it.
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I’d go if there was a wake and a drink.
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Yes I remember Fred – I grew up in Wolverhampton and Fred on that island was a regular sight. I remember that whenever we passed Fred camping on that traffic island, one of us would say :
“oh there’s that tramp”
and then we would all give him a wave.
Another great icon which has disapeared from this great city.
RIP Fred.
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i think he was a hero he lived there for over 30 years and coped all on his own he really nis an hero and i agree that any 1 who didnt no him should not go its not rite xxx rip xxx
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