This was the scene as hundreds of travellers arrived in a quiet village before packing out the parish church for a funeral service . More than 1,200 mourners descended on Aldermaston in Berkshire with a cortege consisting of six stretched limousines , three horse-drawn carriages and five flatbed trucks covered in flowers . Traffic police were called to the roads surrounding St Mary the Virgin Church as huge crowds arrived to pay their respects to Brian Frankham , a prominent member of a nearby traveller community . Up to 1,200 mourners descended on Aldermaston in Berkshire with a cortege consisting of six stretched limousines , three horse-drawn carriages and five flat-bed trucks covered in flowers . Two men catch a lift on the back of a horse drawn carriage as they make their way through the streets of Aldermaston in Berkshire . About 200 people followed horse drawn carriages into the village on their way to St Mary the Virgin Church . Police were called in to monitor the flow of those arriving . Police were called to the roads surrounding St Mary the Virgin Church as a steady flow of people arrived to pay their respects to Brian Frankham , a prominent member of a nearby traveller community . After the service , many of the travellers are said to have moved on to a wake seven miles away . Mr Frankham is believed to have lived on a travellers ' site in the parish . The procession was led by a man riding a white horse , followed by three horse-drawn carriages - one of which contained the coffin . A crowd of about 200 people followed the cortege before meeting hundreds more at the church . One floral tribute showed what appeared to be a brown shotgun and red cartridges on a background of white flowers , along with the words 'Dangerous Brian ' . Another message of condolence said : 'Uncle Brian . Someone special . Wonderful memories woven in gold . This is a picture I tenderly hold . Dearer still as the years depart . ' Eyewitnesses described seeing crowds of people attending the service with dozens of cars parked up on side roads in the area . After the service , many of the travellers are said to have moved on to a wake seven miles away . Parish council chairman Dave Shirt said Mr Frankham was part of a community that lived in a travellers ' site within the parish boundaries . The procession was led by a man riding a white horse ( pictured ) , followed by three horse-drawn carriages - one of which contained the coffin . One message of condolence said : 'Uncle Brian . Someone special . Wonderful memories woven in gold . This is a picture I tenderly hold . Dearer still as the years depart ' Paying respects : Eyewitnesses described seeing crowds of people attending the service with dozens of cars parked up on side roads in the area . Many of the pubs closed for lunch as the funeral service took place . Earlier , hundreds had followed a cortege as it made its way into the village . He said that the council rarely had any contact with Mr Frankham , who , he said , had changed his surname a number of years ago . Councillor Shirt said pubs near the church closed at lunchtime , adding : ' I was talking to a traffic police officer who said there were 1,200 people . There were lots of cars swamping the village and blocking the roads . 'It was quite a spectacle to see the culture of their community with so many people and the way they did things and the use of the horses . It was well worth seeing . 'They went off to the wake seven miles away from us afterwards . I have not heard anything since then . '
More than 1,200 travellers descended on the village of Berkshire in Aldermaston for the funeral of Brian Frankham . Traffic police were called in a steady flow of mourners gathered to pay their respects at St Mary the Virgin Church . The funeral cortege consisted of six stretched limousines , three horse-drawn carriages and five flatbed trucks . One floral tribute showed what appeared to be a shotgun and cartridges along with the words 'Dangerous Brian '