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Friends and family packed out Caerphilly RFC on Sunday October 6 to pay their respects to club legend Fred Brooks.

Mr Brooks passed away on September 3 aged 80.

Known to generations of players at Virginia Park, where he coached and played, and at other clubs, the rugby fanatic, poet, and keen golfer was also known to younger ones as the club’s Father Christmas – a role he played with aplomb.

Through his FC Brooks and Sons removal firm, a company started in 1918 by his father, Mr Brooks was well-known to the community for his role helping others settle into their new homes.

Spreading his ashes on the club’s rugby field, celebrant and friend Gwyn Davies said: “He’s covered most of this pitch, and now he’s covering it some more. He is at peace.”

During the memorial, led by Mr Davies, Mr Brooks was described as being strong – both in physicality and character.

Mr Davies said: “Caerphilly Rugby Club. Fred is part of the fabric of this building.

“Legend. People use the word legend too easily, but he is a legend, yeah my God.

“But how one man fitted so much in along with his work commitments, I will never be able to work out.”

Throughout the service, Mr Davies painted a picture of Mr Brooks as a renaissance man – someone proficient, educated, and knowledgeable in many areas. He had a lifelong love of learning new skills and exploring artistic endeavours, such as music and poetry – even publishing a volume of his collected prose and recording an album.

Not only successful in running a local business, Mr Brooks was also a performer having walk-on parts in many TV series and latterly took on the role of a wizard at children’s play area Poppelwood. Alongside his Father Christmas work, entertaining children was something he took great joy from.

But it was his role as a husband, father and devoted grandfather that Mr Brooks will be best remembered.

His daughter Catrin, speaking after the service, told Caerphilly Observer: “He was a hero to myself and my sister Siân and would go out of his way to fix things for people – he was like Superman. Always there for us through thick and thin.

“He was a joker and found the funnier side of things and adored my mother – loved her to bits.

“There is a massive hole after him and I was overwhelmed by the amount of people at the rugby club. He touched every generation.

Mr Brooks is survived by his wife Non, his daughters Catrin and Siân, granddaughters Mabli, Betsan, Arwen, and Eilir and siblings Norma, Elaine and David.