Tributes have been paid to a former Carlisle mayor who died last month.
Barry Earp died aged 87 and colleagues from Carlisle City Council said he was a dedicated and kind man.
He served as Mayor of Carlisle from 2011 to 2012 and was a dedicated member of Wetheral Parish Council.
Coun Earp joined his local parish council in 1975 and served until his death.
The current city mayor Pamela Birks, at a meeting on Tuesday, said: “Sadly just prior to Christmas we lost a long-standing member of council and an ex-mayor, Barry Earp who has served the city with exemplary manners and decorum during his period of office.”
The Civic Centre fell silent for a moment of reflection before contemporaries of Cllr Earp paid tribute.
Executive member Stephen Higgs remembered Coun Earp as an experienced guiding hand for new councillors: “It would be entirely remiss of me if I didn’t say a few words at this point.
“When I was selected to be the candidate for Wetheral for the 2014 election, Barry who was the other ward member immediately volunteered to advise and assist me with my campaign.
“My problem then was to keep up with him.”
Coun Higgs said the late councillor handled “the lion’s share” of the workload for the Scotby area where he lived. They canvassed the more rural areas together.
“The most frequent response I got when I tried to introduce myself was ‘where’s Barry?’ or ‘I hope that doesn’t mean Barry’s giving up, we need him.”
Cllr Higgs felt ‘part of the team’ after he was elected as Coun Earp welcomed him into the fold.
Coun John Collier also stood to say a few words about his “friend and colleague”.
“When I had a serious accident I was in the Cumberland Infirmary and Barry came to visit me, twice in the infirmary and he came to see me twice when I was at home.
“He was a very kind man and a very good friend and colleague and I think he’ll be greatly missed in this council.”
Leader of the Labour group Les Tickner agreed that Coun Earp’s experience was an asset to the council.
“I worked on a few committees with Barry, I’ve known him a long time. Probably the most notable committee was the training and development for members, Barry was extremely active in that, he looked at it totally as non-political.
“He was, as Coun Higgs said, a dedicated ward councillor, parish councillor and a good egg as he used to say. He’ll be sadly missed.”
