Tributes have poured in for a beloved bin man who worked nearly 50 years on the streets of a Nottinghamshire town and 'never stopped smiling'. Graham Collins, 74, who worked as a bin man in Beeston for 47 years before retiring in 2017 as an incredibly popular member of the community, died on Tuesday, May 16 after a four year long battle with cancer.
The well-known former council worker's death prompted an outpouring of love for Mr Collins as people recalled their memories with him. Sarah Gilkinson, 50, a teacher who lived next to Mr Collins on Beeston Marina caravan site for eight years and became a close friend, said he was unlike anyone else she had ever met.
"There is no-one like him, there was no one that could say anything bad about him. He never stopped smiling - even if he didn't know someone he would smile because his ethos was that it might cheer someone who was having a bad day up," Ms Gilkinson said.
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"He was a very popular bin man, he was one of the oldest serving in the UK - his dad was a bin man so he followed in his footsteps. I lived next door to him for the last eight years and I was caring for him in the end - everything he did was for somebody else."
Mr Collins had an extensive network of friends. "His death has left a hole in everyone's lives. He had a routine where he would go to see his bunch of friends, then Tesco's café to see his bunch of friends and then to coffee and cream to see another bunch of friends," Ms Gilkinson added.
"His whole day he spent socialising and chatting with people. He had a hat that he wore for 45 years and people would put charity badges on it, until it was so heavy he couldn't even wear it anymore, and he's being buried with it."
Ruth Hyde OBE, chief executive of Broxtowe Borough Council, hailed Mr Collins and promised to find a way to honour his memory. "Graham Collins, better known as 'Poach' was a Broxtowe Borough Council Refuse Loader who worked for us for 47 years. He was a loyal and valued employee and I am very sorry to hear of his passing.
"He was a character, a kind man with a cheeky smile who worked hard, did a great job and was a good friend and colleague. I will raise a glass to his memory tonight and we will find a tangible way to preserve his memory within the community he loved and served." Mr Collins' funeral will be held on June 9 at Bramcote Crematorium.
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