THE church service for Sir David Amess was “celebrating his life”, as friends spoke of their fond memories of “Mr Southend”.

Musician Joe Palmer said he was honoured to have been asked by the MP to perform at the wedding of his daughter, and he attended the church service yesterday.

He paid tribute to “a wonderful man”.

He said: “It was a really moving, poignant service. In some way he was either a friend or a colleague.

“He had done something for you that had helped. The feeling in there was obviously sad but we were celebrating his life and there were lovely words from all of the reverends who spoke, and Ann Widdecombe.

“David was always my local MP and I grew up with him as being Mr Southend. He was a wonderful man and we’re all going to really miss him. I’ll remember the last phone conversation I’d had with him.

“I was sitting in Edinburgh Airport a couple of weeks before he died and he phoned me up out of the blue.

“He was so excited to talk to me in the first instance to ask me to sing at his daughter’s wedding, which is due at the end of the year.

“He asked me to sing at the wedding, and I didn’t even want to check my diary.

“He was just such a good man, so I had that memory of him.”

Joe, from Southend, also sang with the Music Man project, which is one of the charities that Sir David supported.

He added: “He got me to sing at the London Palladium. He got me there, he got me through Southend’s Got Talent, and I got his vote for the final. Finally, whenever I saw him, he would say “Joe, if there’s anything I can do, please let me know.”

“That was his phrase: if there’s anything I can do to help. Going forward I hope that it’s something that I and a lot of other people can pass on.”

Resident Sylvia Andrews paid tribute.

She said: “It’s our final chance to say goodbye to David, who did so, so much for this town and the country.”