It was a spectacular sight on Minchinhampton Common on Friday, August 23 as some of the most coveted classic cars congregated to farewell school teacher Jane 'Beck' Barrett.

Jane, a primary school teacher who taught at Hopelands School in Stonehouse, died aged 60 on July 28.

Tragically, the much-loved art teacher passed away just six weeks after being diagnosed with liver cancer and only four weeks after marrying her long-time beau Keith Amos at home in Amberley.

But before she died, Jane had the presence of mind to request that a procession of classic cars carry her body to her funeral.

Amid glorious sunshine, no less than 23 classic, sports and collectors cars and motorbikes came together on the Common.

Jane had loved the aesthetic and simplicity of vintage motorcars.

A 1959 Humber Super Snipe Estate, which dated back to the year of her birth, carried her coffin as the cars proceeded to the Memorial Woodlands at Alveston.

"It was absolutely tremendous," said Graham Millard, who had been friends with Jane for some 35 years.

"As the convoy approached the chapel at the Woodlands, we had 15 seconds of revving the engines in Beck's honour, which she would have loved."

"There was then hushed silence as the Humber approached the chapel carrying Beck's body."

The teacher, who lived in Stonehouse for some 30 years before moving to Amberley five years ago, had the courage to not only organise much of her funeral, but to write her eulogy.

This was read out by close friend Chris Steel whose wife, Claire, took the service.

Also in attendance was Jane's brother, John Beck.

"As Jane's funeral service came to a close, a large, colourful butterfly hovered over the wicker bed in which she lay before it flew up into the eaves of the chapel," he recalled.

"If such things should have an ending, then this was the most perfect of them."

"We celebrated the most lived of lives."

Jane is also survived by husband, Keith who says that as well as Jane making a substantial bequest towards a second CT scanner at Gloucestershire Royal, she also made provision in her will for a memorial garden to be created in her memory at Hopelands School.

"She used to say that if you look hard enough, then the whole world is a garden.

"She looked upon her pupils as individual varieties of flowers and that she was there not to cut them back, but help them flourish."