Philip's main passions were his christian faith, his family, growing fresh produce, the beauty of nature, singing and organ playing, and all these have threaded through his life.
 
He was an only child and he and his mother lived on his grandfathers farm near Tamworth where he had an idyllic childhood, surrounded by the usual farmyard animals including Bill the bull, his faithful dog Floss and countless cats, with the annual cycle of sowing, growing and harvesting. From a young age he was given his own veg patch and also joined the village church all male choir as a boy singer. It was here that he became fascinated with the church organ and passed piano exams in order to gain access to it.
 
After grammar school he decided to find work in commerce eventually joining Cadburys export office where he rose to assistant shipping manager. Also he was given access to their concert hall organ.
 
 By this time, 60 years ago, we had met, then married and lived in Birmingham in a tiny house with a long garden for his vegetables!. He was even wheeled round his office in the wheelbarrow he had requested for his wedding present. We attended our local church  where he first became assistant organist, then a few years later became organist and choir master. He also moved  to a shipping agency, which involved visiting customers all round the midland area and this gave him chance to escape the city office and enjoy rural scenery.
 
 In 1976 his company wished to open an office in the S.W and asked Philip to oversee this as Manager so we with our 2 daughters and son and cat moved to live on Bleadon Hill, again with a large garden for his veg. We attended Uphill church with Philip in the choir, helping with the organ occasionally, and we both joined  Mike Tedstone's Selbourne Singers.
 
Over the years he played at many churches in the area when needed and then for 8 years was organist and choirmaster at this church followed by 14years at St. Paul's, Weston. During this time his shipping company hit a recession and closed down so he turned to decorating and gardening for an income until retirement. He was so successful that he had to turn away customers .
 
He loved good food with a glass of red wine to follow and persisted in telling rather old jokes to anyone who had the time. He had very strong views about almost everything which he liked to share with me. We have enjoyed some lovely foreign holidays but always agreed that nothing could beat this sceptred isle and he liked nothing more than his own home with family get togethers surrounded by his favourite people who were well used to him calling them by the wrong name!
 
Four years ago we decided to downsize and move to a bungalow in Hutton, which he called a rabbit hutch, with a large garden, for veg !. We joined the church choir, with Philip on hand to play the organ if needed and also at Wick St. Lawrence. We continued as members of Selbourne Singers but decided that we would keep our other activities to supporting those available in the village. We entered the Hutton Horticultural Show last year for the first time with his veg and my flowers and were astonished with our collection of lst, 2nd and third prizes. Beginners luck he said. We loved living in Hutton and in hindsight it was  fitting that his beginnings and endings were village based.
 Thank you for being with us and for the huge number of sympathy cards we have received. He would be both surprised  and touched