Snowy Farr
Encyclopedia
Walter 'Snowy' Farr MBE
(b. 1919; d. Oakington
, Cambridgeshire
, 8 March 2007) was a prominent and colourful charity fundraiser
well known to the people of Cambridge
, England
. A familiar sight in the city's Market Square and Lion Yard
/Petty Cury slope over several decades, Snowy Farr collected many thousands of pounds for The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association
. In recognition of his efforts, he received an MBE from the Prince of Wales
in November 1995.
Always clad in unusual clothes (often with an antique military appearance) and eccentric hats, and distinguished by his long white beard, Farr was often accompanied by tame animals — including mice, cats, dogs and even the occasional goat — which charmed children and adults alike.
A former local authority road sweeper, Farr lived in one of the terraced cottages on the main road through the village of Westwick, and later (after he had retired) moved to the adjacent village of Oakington
and a bungalow whose garden contained a display of flags, dolls and teddy-bears. This collection was occasionally reduced in scale and exuberance in response to the demands of the local Council. A board outside the house recorded a 'running total' of the donations he had collected.
For many years, Snowy also maintained the graveyard of St Andrews church in Oakington.
In September 1977, Farr led a procession of 150 children around Cambridge city centre, filming for a TV show which never went ahead. Brief panic resulted when he became confused and took a wrong turn.
A newspaper article from 2002 reported that Farr had been commended by the Cambridgeshire Society for the Blind and Partially Sighted after raising £62,005 for the charity; it also reported that he had raised £33,700 for Guide Dogs for the Blind and £28,305 for Cam Sight, which supports people with sight loss in and around Cambridge.
Farr's death was reported on 9 March 2007. Within a few hours, suggestions were made on a local newsgroup that a statue to Farr ought to be erected near the site at the end of Petty Cury where he habitually collected. On 3 March 2009, Cambridge City Council
announced the decision that a memorial of some kind would indeed be erected. A Snowy Farr memorial artwork consultation is now in progress (Jan 2011).http://www.cambridge.gov.uk/ccm/content/consultations/snowy-farr-memorial-artwork-commission-public-consultation.en A design has been chosen for the new Snowy Farr memorial, which will stand outside Cambridge’s Guildhall (March 2011).http://www.cambridgefirst.co.uk/news/design_for_snowy_farr_memorial_decided_1_839334
MBE
MBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...
(b. 1919; d. Oakington
Oakington
Oakington is a small village 4 miles north-west of Cambridge in Cambridgeshire in England, and belongs to the administrative district of South Cambridgeshire. The village falls into the parish of Oakington and Westwick.-History:...
, Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
, 8 March 2007) was a prominent and colourful charity fundraiser
Fundraiser
A fundraiser is an event or campaign whose primary purpose is to raise money for a cause. See also: fundraising. A fundraiser can also be an individual or company whose primary job is to raise money for a specific charity or non-profit organization...
well known to the people of Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. A familiar sight in the city's Market Square and Lion Yard
Lion Yard
The Lion Yard Shopping Centre is a city centre undercover shopping centre in Cambridge, England. It predates and is significantly smaller than either the Grafton Centre or the Grand Arcade. The latter connects directly to the Lion Yard, which is in the city centre...
/Petty Cury slope over several decades, Snowy Farr collected many thousands of pounds for The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association
The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association
The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association is a British charitable organisation founded in 1934.Guide Dogs provides independence and freedom to thousands of blind and partially-sighted people across the UK through the provision of guide dogs, mobility and other rehabilitation services...
. In recognition of his efforts, he received an MBE from the Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
in November 1995.
A former local authority road sweeper, Farr lived in one of the terraced cottages on the main road through the village of Westwick, and later (after he had retired) moved to the adjacent village of Oakington
Oakington
Oakington is a small village 4 miles north-west of Cambridge in Cambridgeshire in England, and belongs to the administrative district of South Cambridgeshire. The village falls into the parish of Oakington and Westwick.-History:...
and a bungalow whose garden contained a display of flags, dolls and teddy-bears. This collection was occasionally reduced in scale and exuberance in response to the demands of the local Council. A board outside the house recorded a 'running total' of the donations he had collected.
For many years, Snowy also maintained the graveyard of St Andrews church in Oakington.
In September 1977, Farr led a procession of 150 children around Cambridge city centre, filming for a TV show which never went ahead. Brief panic resulted when he became confused and took a wrong turn.
A newspaper article from 2002 reported that Farr had been commended by the Cambridgeshire Society for the Blind and Partially Sighted after raising £62,005 for the charity; it also reported that he had raised £33,700 for Guide Dogs for the Blind and £28,305 for Cam Sight, which supports people with sight loss in and around Cambridge.
Farr's death was reported on 9 March 2007. Within a few hours, suggestions were made on a local newsgroup that a statue to Farr ought to be erected near the site at the end of Petty Cury where he habitually collected. On 3 March 2009, Cambridge City Council
Cambridge City Council
Cambridge City Council may refer to:* Cambridge City Council, England* Cambridge City Council, Massachusetts, USA* Cambridge, Ontario City Council, Canada...
announced the decision that a memorial of some kind would indeed be erected. A Snowy Farr memorial artwork consultation is now in progress (Jan 2011).http://www.cambridge.gov.uk/ccm/content/consultations/snowy-farr-memorial-artwork-commission-public-consultation.en A design has been chosen for the new Snowy Farr memorial, which will stand outside Cambridge’s Guildhall (March 2011).http://www.cambridgefirst.co.uk/news/design_for_snowy_farr_memorial_decided_1_839334
External links
- Photographs: 1 2 3
- Newspaper report of Farr's funeral: http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/city/2007/03/24/7f93f7ba-de30-4ef4-b699-b837793827b9.lpf
- Newspaper report of the design of Snowy Farr's memorial. http://www.cambridgefirst.co.uk/news/design_for_snowy_farr_memorial_decided_1_839334
