St Helens to pay respects to Johnny Welly this Friday

The funeral service of John Smith, known affectionately as 'Johnny Welly', is to be held at Lowe House Catholic Church, followed by a burial at Windleshaw Chantry.

There will be a procession route going around the town before the funeral at midday.

John had most recently been been living at Sherdley Court in Rainhill, a home run by mental health charity Making Space, prior to his death aged 78.

READ > Johnny Welly honoured in imaginative artworks ahead of funeral

During the service, a show-reel will be shown of John, put together by Dave Gibson, who had struck up a friendship and had filmed footage of him since around 2009.

Former professional boxer Dave, from Haydock, got to know Johnny and often went to see him along with Fingerpost fighter Martin Murray.

Johnny, with Martin Murray and Dave Gibson (right)

"I came across Johnny in town and I got talking to him and we just clicked," said Dave.

"I found him fascinating, there were so many layers to this man. I built up a friendship with him and used to take him out to different places.

"My friend got him off the streets and got him a flat and we used to see him about twice a week and I just started filming him, and he performed for the camera.

"He was a proper character and we got really close."

Dave added: "He was a really spiritual guy, he was intuitive clever bloke with comic timing, you never knew what he was going to come out with. There was something about the guy that was intriguing.

"He had a photographic memory, you could tell him something and he could mention it a year later with the full details. There was something mysterious about him.

"Martin would ring and say 'do you want to go round to Johnny's?' and we'd go. I tried to take him out as much as I could, he just made you laugh all the time.

"He knew lots of poetry and was well read. He could recite songs and sing, and change the words. He loved Blondie and knew the names of the singers from years ago."

John Smith

The procession will leave Neil Middlehurst Family Funeral Directors to travel through St Helens for John’s final journey taking in:

Shaw Street

Down Hall Street

On to Linkway

Up Prescot Road

Through Nutgrove Road

Past Rainhill Road

Past Black Horse Pub

On to Sherdley Court Residential Home car park

Leave Sherdley Court

Back through Nutgrove Road

Down Prescot Road on to Asda island

second left at island

On to Ormskirk Street

Past Ormskirk Street United Reform Church.

second left at island onto North Road

It will arrive at Lowe House for a service in celebration of John’s life at 12pm and, after the service, John will be laid to rest in the grounds of Windleshaw Chantry at 1.30pm.