There was not a cloud in the sky as 'sunshine boy' Albie Speakman was laid to rest this afternoon. As the August sun beamed down, hundreds of people lined the streets of Radcliffe to say a final farewell to the three-year-old.
Mourners watched on in sombre silence as a horse-drawn hearse carried Albie on his last journey. Many of those lining the pavements wore colourful clothing at the request of the toddler's mum, Leah.
As the procession slowly made its way up Ainsworth Road on its way to East Lancashire Crematorium, traffic was brought to a standstill. Some watched on from their doorsteps as Albie's carriage dazzled in the sunlight.
On top of the hearse, a floral arrangement spelled out the toddler's name while Albie's coffin was adorned with sunflowers and messages from loved ones. After the procession arrived at the crematorium, a sea of tearful friends and family watched on as the coffin was carried inside for an emotional funeral service.
It is now more than three weeks since Albie was killed after being struck by a tractor at his father's farm off Bentley Hall Road, in Walshaw, Bury, on July 16. His family desperately tried to get him to hospital before flagging down an ambulance on Rochdale Old Road, Bury, at around 12.45pm.
Tragically, Albie was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics. In the days following his death, friends and family held a vigil at Coronation Gardens in Radcliffe in his memory.
Mourners laid candles and released balloons to mark his passing. In a heartbreaking tribute to her son, Albie's mum Leah vowed to 'find a way to be strong'.
She said: "Albie was an incredibly loving, affectionate and caring boy who just wanted everyone to be happy. He was so sensitive and wanted everyone to be ok, especially the people that he loved.
"We all love Albie so much more than we can ever put into words - especially his Nan and his ‘Nanny-Nanny’, as he would always call her. I will miss absolutely everything about Albie, his voice, his smile, the smell of his skin and the feel of his little hands on my face when he would say ‘I love you mummy girl’.
"I always call him my little sunshine boy because he has brought so much light into my life and he is my little ray of sunshine, and I don’t want his life to end here, I need to carry on living for him and take him with me wherever I go. "We still have so many more memories to make, Albie!
"I love him so much and I know he will find his way back to me someday, somehow, because we need each other. Until then I will look for him in everything I do and I will celebrate his life. I’m not sure how to carry on this life without you but I will find a way to be strong for you and make you proud."
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