Snowy Farr

Walter 'Snowy' Farr MBE (b.1919; d. Oakington, Cambs, 8 March 2007) was a prominent and colourful charity fundraiser well known to the people of Cambridge. A familiar sight in the city's Market Square and at the bottom of the Lion Yard/Petty Cury slope over several decades, Snowy Farr collected many thousands of pounds for the The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association. In recognition of his tireless efforts, he received an MBE from the Prince of Wales in November 1995.

Snowy also maintained the graveyard of St Andrews church in Oakington for many years and had some less than christian things to say about some of the churches congregation!

Always clad in unusual clothes (often with an antique military appearance) and eccentric hats, and distinguished by his long white beard, Farr was often accompanied by tame animals - including mice, cats, dogs and even the occasional goat - which charmed children and adults alike.

A former local authority road sweeper, Farr lived in one of the terraced cottages on the main road through the village of Westwick and later after he had retired moved to a bungalow in the next village - Oakington, whose garden contained [http://www.camcycle.org.uk/map/location/636/nearby.html a display of flags, dolls and teddy-bears] . This collection was occasionally reduced in scale and exuberance in response to the demands of the local Council. A board outside the house recorded a 'running total' of the donations he had collected.

In September 1977 Farr led a procession of 150 children around Cambridge city centre, filming for a TV show which never went ahead. It caused brief panic when he took a wrong turn and became lost. [http://w3.cambridge-news.co.uk/people/past_times/2002/09/18/525c0e5f-86da-40a7-9e69-ddc89400b1d9.lpf "Cambridge Evening News"] , September 18, 2002]

A newspaper article from 2002 reported that Farr had been commended by the Cambridgeshire Society for the Blind and Partially Sighted after raising £62,005 for the charity; it also reported that he had raised £33,700 for Guide Dogs for the Blind and £28,305 for Cam Sight, which supports people with sight loss in and around Cambridge. [http://w3.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/articles/2002/11/28/fba4cb88-d030-4d16-b3ef-d369417cd953.lpf "Cambridge Evening News"] , November 28, 2002]

Farr's death was reported on 9 March, 2007 [http://w3.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/region_wide/2007/03/09/e8ce9561-9af1-453e-87c3-c3c3d2e01da2.lpf "Cambridge Evening News"] , March 9, 2007] . Within a few hours, suggestions were made on a local newsgroup [http://groups.google.co.uk/group/cam.misc/browse_frm/thread/56f25d6db54b4990/4daabc72aa1d0085 "cam.misc newsgroup"] , thread in response to Snowy's death] that a statue to Farr ought to be erected near the site at the end of Petty Cury where he habitually collected.

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External links

* Photographs: [http://www.flickr.com/photos/-andyjm-/59106103/ 1] [http://www.flickr.com/photos/victius/411683060/ 2] [http://www.ecoln.com/donsnow.jpg3]
* Newspaper report of Farr's funeral: [http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/city/2007/03/24/7f93f7ba-de30-4ef4-b699-b837793827b9.lpf]