Family pay tribute to well-known Carlisle butcher, 88

Peter Garnett worked at the butchers on St Alban’s Row in the city centre for 35 years and was a well-loved father, grandfather and great-grandfather.

The family have paid tribute to Peter and said he was ‘such a kind and considerate man’ and that they will ‘miss him dearly’.

Born in 1935, Peter grew up on Dunmail Drive, Newlaithes before moving to Norfolk Road. He was educated at Grosvenor College, a grammar school at Eden Mount, Stanwix before leaving school to join his father, Robert ‘Max’ Garnett in the family butchery business.

Peter learnt a great deal in his early years working in his father’s butchery shop on Botchergate and laid the foundations for his future work.

Peter met his wife-to-be, Jean Forrester, and they married at the tender ages of just 18 and 19.

Peter and his wife, Jean (Image: Supplied)As the business flourished, Peter and Jean had three sons, Chris, Nick and Jeremy.

Outside of butchery, Peter was well-known across Carlisle as part of Round Table and Rotary and was president of both during his life.

Peter was appointed a Justice of the Peace in 1972 and he also became a tax commissioner for Cumbria for nine years, nearing the latter stages of his tenure in supporting the local community.

Peter and Jean moved to their ‘dream’ home in Dalston where Peter’s son, Chris, opened a butchers’ shop.

Before he retired officially in 2005, Peter became a stress councillor and travelled down to Milton Keynes every month to get his qualifications and degree in hypnosis and counselling.

After retirement, Peter threw himself into community life and became a church warden at St Michael’s Dalston.

He loved his time as church warden and loved being part of the community. He made so many friends and loved everything Dalston as a village had to offer.

Sadly, Jean died in November 2020, and at that time Peter was diagnosed with dementia. He slowly but surely succumbed to the illness, before passing away on Thursday, May 2.

The family said in a statement: “Our father was such a kind and considerate man, who was always willing to listen to others and offer help and advice to anyone who needed it; whether customers at the shop, business colleagues, friends, family or people he didn't know, but was willing to help.

“One example of this was when a desperate family called in to Radio Cumbria on Christmas Day to say the Christmas turkey they had bought from the supermarket was unfortunately smelling quite bad, and clearly inedible.

“They had a large family round for Christmas lunch, and they were in a panic as to what to do and had reached out on radio in a desperate measure.

“Dad was making the breakfast at the time at our family home, and remembered he had a spare turkey in the fridge at the shop in St Alban's.

“He quickly phoned the radio station, got the family’s details, drove down to the shop and duly took the large turkey to the family’s home for no charge. That was Dad. Always there when needed.

“The family will miss him dearly.”

The funeral of Peter Garnett will be at St Michael’s Church, Dalston on Thursday, May 16 at 1.30pm.