Family, friends and former colleagues gathered for the funeral of former BBC presenter Beccy Barr. Ms Barr, 46, from Lancaster, was diagnosed with incurable abdominal cancer last year and died last month. In 2019, she gave up her role presenting North West Tonight to retrain as a firefighter.
Colleagues from Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) and representatives of the Guide Association, for whom she was a volunteer, formed a guard of honour as her coffin was brought to Beetham Hall Crematorium in Milnthorpe, Cumbria, earlier. Celebrant Phil Hudd described her as "incredibly bright, funny and tenacious". He said she was a "woman of remarkable achievement in everything she turned her hand to".
He said she had wanted the service "to be a celebration of her life" and had planned everything, from the music to the readings. Her coffin was carried in to Teardrop by Massive Attack. Taylor Swift's Wildest Dreams and How Beautiful Life Can Be by The Lathums were also played during the service.
Mr Hudd said she was the "life and soul" of any occasion, but it was life at home with her daughter, Hannah, that she really cherished. Her friend Lorna Mendelsohn described her as a "formidable friend", and spoke of their love for tea and Prosecco. She said she loved that Ms Barr "always spoke her mind" and was "not too proud to admit a mistake".
Following her death last month, former colleague Annabel Tiffin described her as "a feisty, fearless woman". Presenter Roger Johnson said she was "courageous in so many ways" . He paid tribute to the way she faced her illness and that she had the "courage to walk away from a successful TV career to retrain as a firefighter".
Former BBC Breakfast business presenter Steph McGovern posted on X she was "the life and soul of the BBC newsroom", and "funny, smart and fearless". LFRS said it was "deeply saddened" by her death, adding: "Beccy was a dedicated and courageous firefighter who served with professionalism and compassion. "She was an enthusiastic and warm person who became an inspiration to many.
" Ms Barr started her journalism career at the Blackpool Citizen in her early 20s and then worked for Bloomberg News and CNBC in New York before moving back to Lancashire and joining the BBC. She followed in her father's footsteps when she decided to become a firefighter, joining Red Watch in Blackburn. She also studied for an MSc at Bournemouth University's Disaster Management Centre and will be posthumously awarded her masters with distinction.
She was a Girlguiding leader for many years, most recently running a Rainbow unit at St Paul's Church in Scotforth. She also participated in IronmanUK and several long-distance athletic events..
