TRIBUTE has been paid to a Thurrock man who made a lifetime impact on music in the borough.

Colin Morrison was a much-loved player and committee member of Grays Town Band whose death was recently announced.

His funeral will take place on Wednesday, 18 August at 12 noon at South Essex Crematorium at Corbets Tey (Ockendon Road, Upminster) and his life will be celebrated afterwards afterwards at Thurrock Rugby Club.

Friends of Colin from the band have paid the following tribute: "Wednesday sees us say a goodbye to our good friend Colin who was involved with brass banding for more than 50 years with the last 15 years at Grays Town Band.

"On a personal level several of us have known him since we were children.

"Colin has always been someone that we could look up to and rely on, by his own admission he might not have been the world's best player but if enthusiasm and commitment equalled his bass playing he would have given Steve Sykes (Famous Bass player) a run for his money!

"Colin had a passion for helping youngsters progress through his fifty years in banding and even in the last years of his life came down with his famous clipboard every week to organise the learners.

"Caroling is a big tradition with brass banding and we always struggle with collectors but Colin would always volunteer for extra shifts and every player that had a break would be presented with a Werthers Original to keep us going.

"Away from banding Colin loved his allotment and loved bringing down his produce to share with the band, he always seemed to have an endless supply of potatoes, beans, leeks and marrows.