PICTURES: Thousands attend funeral of Mike Peters in Dyserth

North Wales Chronicle

2 days ago

Fans and friends travelled from all over the world on Thursday, May 29 to celebrate Mike's life, with tears and laughter inside and outside the Parish Church of St Bridget and St Cwyfan.
Mike's wife Jules and sons Dylan, 21, and Evan, 18, were applauded by fans as they walked into the church. The crowd parted to allow the family to walk through.
Jules clutched a single red rose and his Evan carried his father's ashes.
Visibly moved by fans, Jules blew a kiss to the crowd.
During the two-hour service, which was shown on a big screen outside the church, emotional tributes were paid to The Alarm frontman, who died aged 66 from blood cancer on April 29.
Evan Peters (centre), carrying his father's casket as friends, family and fans gathered in Dyserth (Image: Sports Pictures Cymru/Jules Peters/PA Wire) The service included reflections, readings, and music. Rhys Meirion delivered a beautiful rendition of the Welsh song Anfonaf Angel. Rhys, who himself is being treated for cancer, had undergone an operation just 10 days ago.
Evan performed Wonderwall, a song he and his father had often played together. Billy Duffy, from The Cult and Coloursound, performed Fade In Fade Out Fade Away, along with the vocals by Mike.
Bruce and Jamie Watson, of Big Country, performed 'Fragile Thing' and Dafydd Iwan - 'Yma o Hyd'.
Around 150 guests attended the service inside the church, including James Chippendale, the co-founder of charity, Love Hope Strength, which aims to raise awareness and funds for those fighting cancer.
About 150 invited guests attended the service inside the church (Image: Suzanne Kendrick / Newsquest) After the service, James said the celebration was 'very, very Mike Peters'.
Fans, which had come from all corners of the world - Cardiff, Derbyshire, the Netherlands and even as far as Bahrain in the Middle East, put their arms around each other and wiped away tears during the moving ceremony as family members and long-term friends paid tribute to Mike.
Jules warmly talks about her husband as she takes to the stand (Image: Screenshot - Funeral of Michael Leslie Peters MBE) Jules bravely took the stand to talk about her husband.
She said: "Michael Peters certainly never saw this day coming and I'm really happy to report that right through to the end Mike felt confident he would get through all of this. Why wouldn't he? He always got through it. He felt he would transform to the next life of immunotherapy and Epcoritamab."
Waterfall Street was closed between 10am and 6pm. Thousands of fans gathered to pay tribute and to support Mike's family (Image: Suzanne Kendrick / Newsquest) Jules admitted that the last year, since Mike developed Richter's Syndrome, where his Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia (CLL) changed into an aggressive fast-growing lymphoma, had been "tough".
"But Mike was tougher," she said.
"We enjoyed one of our best years ever, living life to the full."
Jules added: "How do we all transform without Mike in our lives? I used to ask him outright at various time through our married life, since 1988, and how wonderful is that by the way, 39 incredible years I've had with Michael Peters. [I'd say] 'Michael Peters, how will I ever live life without you in it?' And he just used to smile, 'Trixie Dixie' - that was his nickname for me, 'everything is going to be fine.' And you know what, he was right, we will all be fine, because we keep on living and we keep on loving for Mike.
Rachel Knol from the Netherlands and Andi Badge. Andi was Mike's Lighting Engineer for 15 Years (Image: Suzanne Kendrick / Newsquest) "'Just remember Trixie', he would say more recently. 'I'll just be in the other room'."
Happy memories were shared by Eddie Macdonald of The Alarm, Slim Jim Phantom of Stray Cats, Andrew Foley-Jones, Mike's brother-in-law and Andy Labrow, The Alarm's Tour Manager, who encouraged crowds to do a 'minute of noise' for Mike.
Lifelong friend Alex Coletti, Dylan's godfather and creator of MTV unplugged, became tearful as he shared memories of Mike sharing his vitamins with him while he was fighting cancer, as they both reached Everest base camp.
Billy Duffy shares memories of Mike Peters before playing along to Fade In Fade Out Fade Away. (Image: The Alarm / YouTube) He said: "This is a celebration, this is not a defeat. Mike didn't lose to cancer. Mike beat cancer for 30 years."
He added: "Don't let Mike's memory fade."
Family friend Sean Taylor, founder of Zip World, joked he was giving a "speed eulogy" with his three-minute time slot.
In the morning as fans started to arrive. Fans congregated by the big screen in front of the church. A musical tribute for Mike was screened prior to the service (Image: Suzanne Kendrick / Newsquest) "Mike, the most positive guy I've ever met in my life," he said.
"The last 12 months have been particularly hard, in and out of The Christie Hospital.
"I got a text from Mike 'can you come and have a chat with me.'"
Sean, who said one of his biggest regrets was not telling Mike he loved him, recalled received a big hug from Jules and Mike was sitting in the chair.
"It was very hard for him to get out the chair," Sean said.
"He wasn't well and he said to me, 'I've got a plan. I want to do this concert next year in Cardiff Castle. I want every artist. They may not all come, but I want to invite every artist I've played with, all for charity. In June I'm playing with Simple Minds and the Sex Pistols.' And I'm looking at him and I'm looking at Jules thinking 'is this for real?' But his positivity, you get sucked in and you start believing."
Sean Taylor talks about Mike's positivity (Image: The Alarm / YouTube) He reiterated that Mike "honestly thought he was going to get through this".
All those who paid tribute said how positive Mike was, how Mike kept showing up, how he never let fame go to his head, how he inspired so many, how he wanted to live and valued life.
More than 7,000 people, who couldn't attend the funeral in person, watched the live stream of the service on The Alarm's YouTube channel.
The order of service (Image: Suzanne Kendrick / Newsquest) Many said they had goosebumps when they saw a small bird perch on Mike's guitar in the church during the service.
Rev Gregor Lachlann-Waddell, the vicar at the Parish Church of St Bridget and St Cwyfan said: 'The celebration we carefully curated befits a man whose life was marked by music, resilience, and unwavering hope.
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"While staying true to his Welsh roots, Mike found global fame, and the people who have come to celebrate his life today, many travelling thousands of miles, are reflective of the remarkable life he carved for himself and his family.'
Evan Peters walks to the graveyard carrying his fathers' casket (Image: Stuart Ling/Jules Peters/PA Wire)
Mike, who was made an MBE in 2019 for voluntary services to cancer care in North Wales and abroad, supported U2 and Status Quo on tour and played with Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen. He first rose to prominence in the early 1980s with The Alarm with hits including 68 Guns and Strength.
The artist was first diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) at the age of 36.
He underwent numerous drug treatments, rounds of chemotherapy and tried experimental therapy to keep his cancer at bay.
Last year, five days before he was due to fly to Chicago for a 50-date US tour, Mike noticed that a lump in his neck had appeared overnight and doctors quickly realised the star had developed Richter's syndrome.
He underwent treatment at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester prior to his death.
The Interment of Mike's Ashes was held in St Bridget's Church Yard.
Crowds outside the church fell silent and paused whilst the private committal took place.