Govan at standstill for Jimmy Reid's last journey along Clyde

• Sir Alex Ferguson at the funeral of Jimmy Reid at Govan Old Parish church in Glasgow

HE gave his life to the elevation of the working man and was hailed as a saviour of the shipyards.

So it was only fitting that when the funeral cortege of Jimmy Reid passed BAE shipyard on Govan Road, his coffin bedecked in roses of socialist red, workers downed tools to stand and applaud.

When asked where in the world he came from, Jimmy Reid always said "Govan" and yesterday the town lined the streets to say a fond farewell.

Packed into the pews of the town's Old Parish Church was the political spectrum of the Left, from former Prime Minister Gordon Brown flanked by discreetly armed protection officers, to aged communists with walking sticks. All had gathered to pay tribute to the political activist, orator and author whom First Minister Alex Salmond praised for improving the lives of Scots.

Yet it was Billy Connolly, the former shipyard welder, who captured Reid's compassion for the plight of the poor. He said: "He put things simply, complex things, that just knocked me back three steps.

"I remember him saying that if you look at these housing estates and high-rise flats - look at all the windows. Behind every one of these windows is somebody who might be a horse-jumping champion, a formula one racing champion, a yachtsman of great degree, but he'll never know because he'll never step on a yacht or formula one car - he'll never get the chance."

• Celebrated address to be made available to all high school pupils

The 78-year-old died last week after suffering a brain haemorrhage and was best remembered for his leading role in the "work-in" at the Upper Clyde Shipbuilders when the workers ran the yards for 18 months, fulfilling orders until Ted Heath, the Prime Minister at the time, relented and announced an injection of 35 million.At the time of the "work-in" he announced to the watching world: "There will be no hooliganism, there will be no vandalism, there will be no bevvying."

In tribute the order of celebration handed out to mourners read at the bottom of page three: "The family requests that during this celebration of Jimmy's life there will be no bevvying."

While alcohol was absent, tears and laughter were present as six speakers paid tribute to their friend's life. This was to be the public event, resting between two private services.

The day began with a ceremony at the United Church of Bute, where Reid had lived out his final years, taking delight in the daily view of the Clyde. While the heroes of classical literature he so enjoyed crossed the River Styx after death, Reid crossed the River Clyde as the funeral cortege boarded a ferry to the mainland, while 50 people lined the pier. The cortege later travelled, under police escort, to Glasgow where workers at Govan shipyard lined part of the road. Reid's coffin, with roses on top, was carried into the church led by a piper. Flowers spelt the words "papa" and "dad" in the hearse.

While the coffin arrived and was in place at front of the altar at 12.55pm, the service did not begin until exactly 1.30pm as had been stated, as Reid believed in the courtesy of punctuality. In the front row was his wife Joan and three daughters, Eileen, Shona and Julie, as well as his grandchildren.

During the service, which was broadcast via loudspeaker to members of the public outside, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson remembered a man whose "mantra in life" was helping other people. He recalled how as a young boy, Jimmy Reid did not play football but was often seen with books under his arm. "Our education was football, his education was the Govan Library - he was never out of there," he said. "That education gave him an intellect far beyond what we ever thought we could achieve."

Sir Alex told the congregation how Reid, who became a fervent supporter of the Scottish national team, "was seen in the Hampden tea room telling Denis Law, our greatest ever player, how he scored his goals".

He said: "I can see him, his eyes on Denis, trapped in a corner, can't move, and Denis says: 'The best man-marking job he's ever had'."

The Manchester United manager said that throughout the progress of his life, Reid "proved what he really was about".

"Helping the underprivileged, helping people who'd lost their jobs and their dignity, that was his mantra in life - it never changed," he said.

Sir Alex spoke of in Govan the word of Jimmy Reid was treated as gospel. If he had said it, it must be true. He also praised his intellect and pointed to a single line in Reid's famous speech on election as rector of Glasgow University: "Man is a social being.Real fulfilment for any person lies in service to his fellow men and women."

To Bob Thomson, with whom Reid founded the Scottish Left Review, his friend of 40 years "was a courageous and steadfast fighter for working people and their families.

"At The UCS work-in he proved that organised workers could defeat an unthinking government and uncaring big business. A self-taught intellectual and philosopher, he did not curry favour or seek self-advancement. He told the truth, often at great cost to himself."

When the time came for Connolly to slip behind the pulpit, he commented on the length and depth of the previous speeches and said: "I'm in deep trouble, everyone has spoken for a fortnight, I thought it was just a quick word." He then went on to speak for a further 25 minutes.

While he began by recalling the enjoyment of "many happy hours just hangin' aboot, smokin', drinkin', talkin' nonsense and listening to Jimmy waxing lyrical and being profound", he soon spiralled off into a routine that had the pews in stitches, while occasionally looking down at the coffin and saying: "He'd love it."

However, towards the end even he was on the verge of tears and had to stop for a few seconds to compose himself. He ended by quoting from an e-mail he had received from John Sessions, the Scots actor who had contacted Connolly to arrange for his nephew, who was writing a thesis on the UCS "work-in" to meet with Reid, a meeting to which Reid agreed but which, sadly, did not take place.

As the emotion crept into his voice, Connolly read: "I saw the news on Wednesday morning. So dies one of the greatest examples of Scottish working-class character, verve, intelligence and grace." Connolly then said: "ladies and gentlemen, I couldn't have put it better myself. Jimmy Reid - cheerio and thank you, very, very much."

The final speaker was Alex Salmond who explained that Reid's speech was one of the finest political speeches ever made in Scotland and as First Minister he had decided that it should be available to every school pupil in the country.

At the end of the service, as the coffin was carried down the aisle the congregation broke into spontaneous applause.

Although those who attended were asked to wait in their seat until after the hearse had departed, no-one listened and so, in a move of which Reid would have approved, everyone squeezed out cheek by jowl with the former prime minister shuffling along with everyone else out into the warm sunshine where a piper played Reid, man of the people, off to his final rest.

"Aye" said one elderly lady who was among the crowd gathered outside. "We'll no see his like again."