On Wednesday 5th December, 2012, at 11:30am, a funeral service was held at St Bride's Church, Fleet Street for Noel Botham, journalist, writer & landlord.

The BIDDING PRAYER

The Venerable David Meara delivered the bidding:-

We have come together in St Bride's today to remember before God, Noel Botham, journalist, writer, and larger than life landlord of one of Soho's leading waterholes, to give thanks for his life, to  commend his soul to God, our merciful redeemer, and to comfort one another in our sadness.

We praise thee as we recollect his life and cherish his memory. We bless thee that in bearing thine image he has brought life to our lives; For we have seen In his friendship reflections of thy compassion, in his integrity demonstrations of thy goodness, in his faithfulness glimpses of thine eternal love. Grant to each of us the Grace to follow his good example so that we with him may come to thine everlasting kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

ADDRESSES

Guy Botham

John Blake

READINGS

Malcolm Tierney read The Beatitudes from Sermon On The Mount

Struan Rodger read Letters from the Heart by Noel Botham

Tim Woodward read Act IV Scene 3 from Henry V by Shakespeare

MUSIC

The choir & organist of St Bride's performed the following anthems and songs:-

Kenny Clayton played piano music before the service

The Sentences - Croft

What A Wonderful World - Weiss/Theile, arr. Jones

Summertime - Gershwin arr Jones/Morley

The Lord Bless You And Keep You - Rutter

Hymns:

All Things Bright And Beautiful

Jerusalem

Silent Night

Mine Eyes Have Seen The Glory Of The Coming Of The Lord

OBITUARIES & COMMENT

Guardian - Roy Greenslade