A POPULAR Hampshire villager was remembered by 20 friends and family in a charity walk last weekend.

A 32-mile sponsored walk, in aid of Naomi House and Crohn's and Colitis UK, was in memory of David 'Nippy' Albert Beale, who died on Christmas Day in 2005 aged 58.

Friends and family trekked from the Bournemouth sign on the A338, close to the Christchurch/Hurn intersection, to the Tally Ho, Nippy's favourite pub in his village of Broughton.

Nippy's son, Shaun Beale, said: "Nippy was a unique character in the village of Broughton.

"His face was known to all, and he had a ready smile and a joke for everyone.

"He is sadly missed, especially as he was from a school of person we are unlikely to see again in the villages of Hampshire.

Hampshire Chronicle:

David 'Nippy' Albert Beale

"He was from a world before everything was taken so seriously.

"As most of us race from A to B in the daily quest to earn more money than we really don’t need, to buy things that we really don’t need, Nippy was happy to make a living by gardening and doing odd jobs around the village.

"Nippy was notoriously unreliable and would never turn up when expected.

"He would always claim to run on Broughton time, and there was no job so important that it can’t wait until tomorrow.

"There are people in the village still waiting for logs ordered ten years ago."

Nippy was born in Broughton and lived there almost all of his life.

He served an apprenticeship in the village butchers shop, before working for Strong’s Brewery in Romsey.

After his wife Leslie died in a car crash in 1982, he started working in the village to spend more time parenting Shaun and Karen.

Nippy tragically died on the evening of Christmas day 2005.

He was leaving the Kings Arms at Lockerley when he slipped and fell, hitting his head on a concrete bank.

He died immediately leaving behind his three children, Jeannette, Shaun and Karen, four sisters and four grandchildren.

The group has raised more than £2,500 online. Donations are still being taken here.