Tributes to much-loved Thetford figure

ONE of the founding fathers of the Thetford Twinning Association has passed away at the age of 84.

ONE of the founding fathers of the Thetford Twinning Association has passed away at the age of 84.

Barrie Nutt died on November 10 and was a well-known and much-loved figure in the Thetford community.

A pharmacist by training, Mr Nutt moved to the town in 1965 with Baxter Laboratories and later he and his wife Sheila were pharmacists at Parry and Large (now Lloyds) in King Street for many years. He practised in Diss before retiring.

He was a long-standing member of Thetford Rotary club and one of the founders of Thetford Twinning Association of which he was chairman for many years up until this year.

Thanks to Mr Nutt's efforts, Thetford enjoys close friendships with its twin towns in France, Germany, Holland and more recently Poland.

The grandfather loved languages and spoke French, German, and began learning Polish in his final years. He even learnt Urdu when posted to Pakistan by Glaxo in the 1950s.

He also loved music and was a keen pianist. As a trumpet player, he was a member of the former Thetford Town Band and was a founding member of Thetford Singers and sang with the Burgate Singers for over 30 years.

He leaves behind his wife Sheila, son Michael, daughter Audrey, and four grandchildren.

Mr Nutt's funeral took place on Monday at St Cuthbert's Church in Thetford, followed by a cremation at West Suffolk Crematorium.