CLASSIC and vintage cars were master craftsman coach trimmer Barrie’s life and passion – to the extent that he carried on working on them until he was 81.

Born in the Royal Victoria Hospital, Boscombe, he was apprenticed to GA Paulding Trimmers in Holdenhurst Road in 1945. His National Service was with the army and he spent time in the Middle East, where he carried out trimming work on trucks and Jeeps.

On returning to civilian life, he worked at Henleys in Bournemouth, which held a contract to refurbish old army and navy vehicles. He had brief spells on the car production line at Longbridge and sewing mattresses in Southampton, followed by another stint at Henley’s and then Clarkes of Bournemouth, which mainly trimmed boats and aircraft.

He started Parkstone Trimming Centre in 1982, then went into a workshop at Roger Taylor’s Classic Cars in Wallisdown Road, later moving to Ringwood Road. He was known throughout the south for the quality of his work on car interiors and tailor-made hoods for classic convertibles.

Commissions included retrimming a 1904 Rolls-Royce at the Science Museum in London. Another car he worked on is on display at the Beaulieu Motor Museum.

Kevin Baggs started working with Barrie as a 14-year-old schoolboy and used to attend rallies with him and his wife Sylvia in their 1936 Morris Eight.

“He was like a father figure. He taught me and mentored me. He was very fussy. Everything had to be done as it was in the original year of the car. That’s what made him so good,” said Kevin.

Barrie died in hospital at the age of 82.

His funeral will take place in the Church of the Good Shepherd, Stanfield Road, Parkstone, at 11am on Monday.