THEY came from all corners of the UK and beyond - all with their own individual memories of a man whose legacy will live on through future generations.

The fact that more than 1,000 mourners gathered in a church, village hall and a city mart on Tuesday was testament to how well regarded and respected David Thomlinson was.

Eulogies read out all described the man who was known globally as a legendary auctioneer as “always there for advice or a guiding hand, a role model and mentor for the farmers both young and old”.

David, 73, passed away after a tragic accident on his Scaleby farm. He had been working with a newborn calf in a pen.

In the days that followed tributes poured in on social media for a man whose many talents was remembering people’s names and a little jibe about their daily life.

The decision to webcast David’s funeral at Scaleby Village Hall and Borderway Auction Mart exhibition hall was taken by family and colleagues at Carlisle-based Harrison & Hetherington, when it was realised that the tiny village church couldn’t cope with the huge numbers of mourners expected to pay their respects.

All stood with heads bowed as the image of David’s coffin being carried into the church, where he had been a regular worshipper, by those closest to him appeared on the giant screen at Borderway Mart.

Then Reverand Elizabeth Gough, herself a farmer’s daughter, who had remarked that the day would have been David and Sheila’s 49th Wedding Anniversary. They had met at the Cosmo in Carlisle in the early sixties when Sheila, a Yorkshire farmer’s daughter, was living in Annan. The couple moved to Park View, David’s parents’ farm, in 1988.

She told mourners that it was impossible to capture someone’s life in a minutes, and even harder to capture David’s, “so we will capture a snapshot”, she said.

The first eulogy was read by Ken Park, a close friend of David. Entitled 'Life on the farm and more', the heartfelt, emotional - and frequently funny - eulogy talked about David's home life and how he was outside of his work.

Close friend and colleague, David Pritchard, in his tribute to David’s working life, said when David started as an office boy 57 years previously he had no intention of ever being an auctioneer. “But another great mentor at that time, managing director, Dick Harrison, agreed to give David the chance of progressing in the auctioneering profession provided he took his exam, which he did, and after a struggle managed to qualify.”

“David stated that the whole essence of being an auctioneer is gaining the confidence of both the buyer and the seller, and for any young person started out - this takes a lot of doing,” added Mr Pritchard. “He would also say that when you are selling you must use your brain, assess the value of the animals and then set to by getting to that target price,” said Mr Pritchard.

A little ripple of laughter then went through the listening mourners when Mr Pritchard related how David had been sent to ‘Cowper Day’ horse sale at Kirkby Stephen. “Halfway through selling a particular lot he said ‘come on now folks this one which will grow for ever more and never look back’ - a customer shouted to him and said ‘what do you mean, you daft begger - don’t you realise it is a Shetland pony you are selling!”

In the years that followed, David, nicknamed DT, Tommo, Cloggy, to name but a few, went on to have many successes and highlights during his work as an auctioneer. Mr Pritchard remarked one of David’s proud moments was the sale of a Texel Shearling Ram, Loosebeare Imp, in 2003, which sold for 120,000 gns. David then went into the history books for selling first a Limousin bull for a record-breaking price of 100,000gns in 2006 and in 2014 a Limousin maiden heifer for 125,000gns.

Brampton vet, David McCrea, before reading a poem The Auctioneer, said David was Sheila’s rock and she was his and together they formed a formidable partnership. “David was a larger than life character and he had many strings to his bow. He was a farmer and a respected Limousin breeder, and always wanted to do the best for his stock,” said Mr McCrea. “A neighbour told me, that he had asked David, why didn’t take things a little easier and retire from the auction? David replied, he couldn’t give up the auction because he needed to look after his customers. But he didn’t mean customers he meant his friends.”

Rev Gough finished by reading a poem called Close The Gate, which she said David had heard at a funeral he attended and said he would like it read at his.