TRIBUTES have been paid to a well-known Berkeley resident who passed away recently. 

Bryan Cullen was originally from Bristol but moved to the Berkeley area in 1959. 

Over the years, he has featured in many Gazette articles.

He was known to many residents as the 'scrap man'. 

His daughter Sally Cullen has paid tribute to him.  

"Dad use to have all the scrap from factories such as cam Mills, Tubbs Lewis in Charfield and many tanning, engineering factories from the Five Valleys.

“He's didn't hesitate to bring his pony and trap to do many jubilee carnivals and school fetes over the years , giving pony rides and leading the precession with his two daughters, Mandy and me.

“Lots of locals hired horses and carriages for their weddings, funerals as well as for in film for the original Poldark, Arthur of the Britons and the Bronte sisters, to name a few.

“He would show his horses at all the local shows.

“The Berkeley show was a must.

“Dad was famous for a little coloured cob pulling his London trolley as he was an original rag and bone man back in Bristol.

“Being the local scrap man with his transit lorry, all the farmers, builders and Stroud council would use him and his lorry to collect their scrap.

“Most years dad would buy an old gypsy wagon(barrel top),  spend the winter restoring it and then take us two girls on holiday to Priddy sheep fair.

“As well as a scrap business my dad’s first love was horses.

“We went to every horse sale horse fair all over the UK.

“Dad was a general dealer. He wouldn't care if it was a goat, chicken or dog he would buy it.  

“He was an amazing man.

“In the later years dad was still kept busy by picking my son Rene up from school in his pony (tally) and trap from stone primary school.

Retiring at 80 years old with the onset of dementia, he still maintained a social life with his family.

"And he got to see his great granddaughter River Renee for the last year.

“He passed away after a short illness at 90 years old.

“He was a true gentleman, always smiling.”

Bryan’s funeral is today at All Saints Church, Stone, near Berkeley at 1pm.

He passed away on January 11.