10/02/2026
Corn beef Chris
With retirement upon him Chris was popular and a well liked drinker in the bars of Boston town centre.
The tall slender man he was, would exercise religiously and daily with his brisk walks around the streets of the town, and as a man of routine, he would cover the same route starting and finishing at the same time and place.
And in the beginning his walk would end and his day of a drink and socialising would start at the Folly public house in Boston.
Never was he an heavy drinker Chris was a lager man and a smoker and every day by the minute on the hour he would settle in with his pint, he would sit amongst friends and on those occasional days when one pint led to another and eventually too many he would join in the laughter and spirit of the moment and share with his fellow drinkers is recipe for corned beef hash.
And there was born an unusual but meaningful nickname for corned beef Chris. In the winter he would sit in the same chair in the same place wearing the same coat drinking the same, a pint of lager.
The summer was no different he just sat outside.
A private man who kept himself to himself and whom only spoke to a few people, he only told those with whom he wanted to share his life with.
He changed his local and became a regular at Church Keys when he followed in the footprints of some of the Folly’s great staff when they found employment at church keys. Zhara, Emma and to follow Sophia had all looked after Chris at the Folly and now did the same at church keys.
Chris was an early bird, early to bed, difficult nights sleeping, but definitely up and about in the early hours of the morning.
You could set your clock by Chris’s punctuality.
Chris lived alone but he had a bit of a soft spot for a younger lady 20 years his junior, jacky had come into Chris’s life by misfortune, but out of it came only good, and Chris had a soft spot for her.
Every Saturday, as you can imagine by routine Chris and Jacky met up at Church Keys and sometimes joined by Jackie’s 2 grown up sons.
We knew when things were getting good between them because Chris would hit the hard stuff rum and cokes all round Chris would order, and if he was still there at 4,5,6 o clock we knew he was having a good day. Chris’s diet was never healthy he would splash out occasionally and Jackie and the boys would join Chris for a bite to eat at Church keys or other town centre pubs.
Or if he dined alone he would be looked after at Brian’s fish and chip shop.
Chris liked a flutter, nothing heavy just a little £1 or so on the horses and the Irish lottery.
He became the go to man if you wanted a flutter on the Irish.
He ended up putting bets on for all the staff and customers and boy when your numbers came up and he gave you £3-£4 hundred pound because you won he felt so happy for you and you would slip him a little thank you behind the bar or in his pocket.
He was never one to sit still or break his routine even in lock down he would sit alone on his bench in the same spot outside Church keys whilst the country kept themselves locked indoors.
Don’t tell anybody but in lock down the three of us Jason Alison and Chris used to secretly meet at church keys and paint the inside of the building.
Chris’s life tragically took a turn for the worse with the very sad passing of his dear friend Jackie when she died a little while ago from cancer.
On the surface Chris was Chris but inside he felt as if it should have been him that said goodbye and this sparked a period of self neglect and as chris became withdrawn and insular.
There followed a period of many months where Chris showed visible signs of deterioration to the point that he was hospitalised and with no fight in him and no want or wish to carry on he sadly passed away very suddenly at the Pilgrim Hospital in Boston.
Following the service, and at Chris’s request corn beef sandwiches and warm bites will be served at Church Keys.
So please join us all there for a pint or two of Chris’s favourite lager and reflect on the special moments and occasions each and every one of you want to share with us all.
Goodbye our friend Chris.
