Today Eccles Manchester -Memorial to Hero Alan Henning

Alan Henning's home town mourns 'a kind and honourable gentleman'
People of Eccles in Greater Manchester pay tribute to murdered taxi driver by placing flowers at monument in centre of town
The Observer, Sunday 5 October 2014

Floral tributes to murdered aid worker Alan Henning in Eccles. Photograph: Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Images
On what is usually the busiest day of the week in Eccles town centre, shops were closed on Saturday and the precinct was eerily quiet. The people of Eccles, home to murdered taxi driver Alan Henning, were in mourning.

"Alan was the nicest man I have ever met," said Irene, 61. "He never had a nasty word to say about anybody. He was one of life's gentlemen and I will always remember his kindness."

Too upset to continue, Irene looked over at the mass of flowers placed at the foot of the Eccles Cross, a simple stone monument at the centre of the Greater Manchester town. What began as an impromptu memorial to the father of two, had, by lunchtime, become a focus for the town's grief.

"I didn't know Alan but my son went to school with his lad. I just wanted to bring some flowers," said Paula Munro, a 49-year-old cash processor. "I wanted to pay my respects. The cross has been here forever, it's a fitting place to remember him."

As the day wore on, a constant stream of people laid flowers at the base of the cross, some pausing to read the dedications on bouquets of chrysanthemums, roses and carnations. One note read: "Our Hero. Whilst we come to terms with this living nightmare your suffering is over. Rest in Peace Alan. You leave an irreplaceable gap in all our lives. Love always Sally, Jasmin and Chad. X."

Another said: "To a very special man with a heart of gold. God bless Alan. Love Joyce. x."

Natalia Marshall, 28, works at the Salford Royal hospital. Henning, 47, was her taxi driver, ferrying her the few miles to work from central Eccles. "He used to tell me how he used to buy old ambulances, gut them and pack them full of aid," she recalled. "Then he'd travel to other countries with them. And, if he had any spare money, he used to give it to the children he met out there. I thought he was so kind and honourable. He said it was all about the children. I will never forget that story."

She added: "He was so laidback, friendly and very passionate about what he did. He's been doing that kind of humanitarian work for years I believe. He told me that he would keep on doing it for as long as he could."

As the clouds over the town cleared and the sun came out, people kept on coming. Some tied yellow ribbons and bows to the Eccles Cross while others stood quietly, reflecting on what had happened to someone who, according to the local paper, was an "extraordinary man who we can be proud to call one of our own".

As the crowd grew, many made no attempt to hide their tears. "It's not sunk in yet," said Sean Fennell, a 52-year-old industrial cleaner from Eccles. "He just tried to help people and this is the thanks he got. My brother-in-law worked at the same firm as him. What happened to Alan is totally wrong, I think everybody should live together in peace."

A short distance from the cross, a local church had set up a prayer table. Minister Stan Smith said members of the Cornerstone Community Church congregation were offering to mourn with people who were heartbroken by the news of Henning's death. "People are so sad and shocked," said Smith. "Our church is just 300 metres away from the local mosque. I have a good relationship with the imam. A couple of years ago we had a visit to their mosque and we will have them back to our church soon. But things like this deal a real blow to our relationship building."

Over in the shopping precinct, the Rotary Club of Eccles was selling books to raise money for good causes. Harry Pickles, 74, a Rotarian, said there was a strong community spirit in the town.

"People might think that Eccles is a very white working and middle-class place but we have a big Muslim community and a mosque in Eccles. We operate as a community, there is no animosity. One of the nice things about living here is that we all get on well together.

"What has happened to Alan Henning is a great shame. Just last week everyone came together in Eccles town hall for a vigil, and all faiths came together, to point out to whoever might be listening that it's not about Christians against Muslims or Muslims against Christians."