1935 - 2019
The funeral of Chris Osborne took place today at St Mary's Church, Huish Episcopi.
Chris served on Langport Town Council for over forty years, ten years of which he spent as its chair. He of course also ran Oswall Plant Hire on North Street where Tesco now stands.
Chris served on Langport Town Council for over forty years, ten years of which he spent as its chair. He of course also ran Oswall Plant Hire on North Street where Tesco now stands.
As many people have said since his passing, he was a colourful character - as I once found out in my 20s...
As a young reporter at Orchard FM, I had to interview him about some environmental protestors who'd been threatening to 'tamper' with his heavy machinery in their attempt to thwart work going ahead on the Wells relief road. There'd even been talk of them thinking about cutting through the machines' hydraulic pipes in the dead of night.
Chris quickly demanded an urgent meeting with the group and our news team rang the Oswall Plant office in Langport later in the week to see how it had gone.
In a recorded piece down the line, he told me that the leader of the activists had now withdrawn the threat after the two sides came to a "mutual understanding"
In a recorded piece down the line, he told me that the leader of the activists had now withdrawn the threat after the two sides came to a "mutual understanding"
As soon as I got my soundbite I pressed 'stop' on the recording equipment and realising he was no longer on tape, Chris then told me what really happened:
"I had the little @*?**! over the filing cabinet and told him if he even touched my diggers his life wouldn't be worth living"
Laughing down the phone I told Chris I thought I'd stick with the 'mutual understanding' line and that is indeed what we put out on air in the teatime news!
Just one memory of a Langport old-timer who will be sorely missed.
R.I.P
R.I.P
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