THE school hall at Ivy Lane was full to capacity as friends and family of 11-year-old Leo Darby came together to celebrate his life.

Leo, an extremely popular pupil at the primary school, died at the Children’s Hospice South West at Charlton Farm in Wraxall on October 19 after a ten month battle with a brain tumour.

But it was his creativity, imagination and fun spirit that was remembered by family, Ivy Lane staff and pupils, and many others yesterday.

The celebration began with the white coffin, covered in notes from Leo’s many stories and poems which he regularly created being brought into the hall to ‘You’re My Best Friend’ by Queen.

There was a moving tribute to Leo’s commitment to learning and dedication to studying from Ivy Lane head teacher Chris Cannings who said that the phrase “Born to Perform” could have been created for the 11-year-old.

Leo, who dreamed of becoming an author and following in the footsteps of his hero Derek Landy, had two of his own poems, My Name Is Leo and The Snooty Tree, read-out by his best friends Molly Griffin and Jodie Watson.

An emotional Laura Graham-May, of Rag and Bone Arts, spoke, following a performance of You Raise Me Up by the Ivy Lane School Choir, of the immense impact Leo, and his younger brother Oscar, had on the theatre group.

She said: “Leo Darby joined us right from our beginning, in September 2011.

“He was the embodiment of our youth theatre. Bright, creative, fun, eccentric, imaginative, warm, and just a little bit bonkers. He wasn’t a stage school kid, and we are not a stage school, so we were a perfect match.

“His commitment to making up great theatre was consistent, and his contribution meant that we flourished. We would always run our draft scripts past him, and his nod of approval meant that we had got it right. If we made him laugh, we knew that we were on to a winner.

The hole that he has left in our company is greater than a galaxy, but we are committed to carrying on in the spirit that we started.”

Rag and Bone Arts are fundraising for two scholarships, in Leo’s name, one for ages seven to 10 and a second for ages 11 to 15, both to start in January 2016.

CLIC Sargent nurse Sarah Fay praised Leo’s fighting spirit and the positive impression he made on all care staff, before more of Leo’s favourite music, ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’, by Queen was played to accompany a slideshow of photos.

A second service was held at Westerleigh Crematorium at 4pm.

Donations in memory of Leo can be made payable to either Rag and Bones CIC via crowdfunding.justgiving.com/ragandbonearts or to Friends of Ivy Lane School via FW Jones and Son.