On August 12th 2020, Albert ‘Albie’ Barrett died aged 82 after an 18 month-long battle with cancer. 

Albie was born in Mitcham in Surrey, one of ten children, in September 1937. At the age of 15, after leaving school, he joined the Royal Navy and sailed to places such as the Far East and Gibraltar for three years. 

After leaving the navy due to an ear injury, Albie became a bus conductor and met Rosemary. Albie, then 21, used to hang out of the bus and wave to Rosemary, then 18, when the bus passed by her house. He eventually slipped a note under her door asking her out on a date. They married a short while afterwards before moving to Norfolk in 1971. The couple later welcomed three children, Karen, Alison and Mark, as well as seven grandchildren. On Boxing Day last year, they celebrated their 60th Wedding Anniversary with their family.

Albie, who lived in Wymondham, worked as lollipop man for nearly a decade, until the age of 78, outside Robert Kett Junior School. He was renowned for being a friendly face for nervous pupils on their first day of school, while other children would high-five him as they crossed the road. In Wymondham, where he lived in the same house on Ashleigh Gardens for nearly 50 years, Albie was like a “local celebrity” with people regularly stopping him in the streets to wish him well. During the summer fete, Albie used to lead the parade in the street with his lollipop stick and played an active role in other parts of the school community, including giving assemblies and teaching road safety. In 2018, he was invited to the garden party at Buckingham Palace in recognition of his contributions to the local community.