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It is of course unusual to have a cremation before the church service, but the crematorium was free at 10 a day the press come up with a dozen reasons as to why the funeral had been conducted in this order – fro to fool them Not one of them published the correct reason

Within minutes, the police escort arrives and we are on our way

When we drive into the creraphers waiting for us behind a barrier that has been erected by the police They must have been disappointed to see the white van disappear behind the back of the building, where they slipped y

Peter Walker, an old friend and the forh to a little rooe into a new suit, which e I will be only too happy to be rid of the clothes I’ve been wearing for the past few days The smell of prison is a perfume that even Nicole Kidman couldn’t make fashionable

The Bishop takes h the cremation service, which, he says, will only last for about fifteen minutes He confirms that the main funeral service will be conducted in the Parish Church of St Andrew and St Mary in Grantchester at twelve o’clock

A few minutes later, my immediate fa caant black dress with a simple brooch that my mother left her in her will She is ashen-faced, which was in to accept that this terrible ordealso hard to carry on their daily lives while not letting the world kno they really feel

When Mary coh to join e into h to the chapel and join the rest of the fa my place in the front row, seated between William and Mary I try hard to concentrate on the fact that we are all gathered together in et I’m a convict, who in a few hours’ time will be back in prison

1030 am

The Bishop conducts the service with calnity, and when the curtains are finally drawn around my mother’s coffin, Mary and I walk forward and place a posy of heather next to the wreath

Mary leaves by the front door, while I return to the back rooreeted by another old friend The two prison officers are surprised when Inspector Howell from the local constabulary says, ‘Hello, Jeffrey, sorry to see you in these circumstances’

I explain to theby Club, David was the 1st XV skipper, and the best scrum-half in the county

‘How do you want to play it?’ I ask

David checks his watch ‘The service at Grantchester isn’t for another hour, so I suggest we park up at Cantalupe Fare, until it’s time to leave for the church’

I glance at George to see if this meets with his approval ‘I’m happy to fall in hatever the local constabulary advise,’ he says

I’m then driven away to Cantalupe Farm in my armoured van, where the owner, Antony Pemberton, has kindly allowed us to park Mary and the boys travel separately in the family car We then all e accoraphers as the rest of the press are massed outside St Andrew’s; they have all assu directly to the parish church