Beaminster church is packed for Sir James Spicer's memorial

The service was thanksgiving was attended by family, friends, political allies and townspeople as well as serving members of the parachute regiment, there to honour one of their own.

The service was taken by the Rev David Baldwin with readings by Canon Tim Biles, former Beaminster rector, and contributions from friend Michael Dobbs, the Lord Dobbs of Wylye, daughters Gaye Spicer, who read the Father William poem by Robert Southey and Clare who talked about Sir James as a loving father.

It came as no surprise to the congregation that it was Sir James who had the final word with a recording of him talking about his career to a Saturday Live journalist.

Canon Tim Biles talks to Oliver Letwin

But it was Lord Dobbs who painted the most recognisable picture of a man larger than life and twice as irrepressible.

Lord Dobbs said it was an almost impossible task to encapsulate a man like Sir James.

He said: “I can hear his voice barking in my ear, ‘get on with it’.

“He had so many things to do and did everything at a pace that would have exhausted most ordinary mortals.”

He said Sir James had many roles, politician, farmer, diplomat but it was his role as a father he took most seriously.

“He was rare and exceptionally talented. He was my friend and, as we can see from this packed church, he was a friend to so many.

“He introduced me to west Dorset and all but insisted I come and live here. He infected me with that extraordinary passion he had for this place.”

Sir James was born in Hounslow in 1925 and by the time he was 14 the world was on the brink of chaos, said Lord Dobbs.

He said: “Jim was determined to take part and even with something so momentous as World War Two he insisted on doing things on his terms.

“He was just a little bit impatient with filling sandbags and doing his duties as a messenger. He wanted more active service so when he was 16 he invented a new birthday for himself and said he was 17 and a quarter.

“He knew this was no game. His first experience was at the Battle of the Bulge.

“”He lost three company commanders in less than a week.

“Those horrific experiences left an indelible sense of what was right and what was wrong.

“He had a lifelong sense of loyalty to those who served.

“He had an extraordinarily strong moral compass.”

Regimental Lieutenant Colonel Bruce Radbourne honours a fellow para

His strong views on Russia got him thrown off Speakers Corner and in the same day out of a West End cinema for disputing vociferously that Errol Flynn single-handedly saved Burma, said Lord Dobbs.

Lord Dobbs said Sir James set his heart on joining the parachute regiment. He refused to let his poor eyesight get in the way and set about memorising the eye chart.

He loved the army but as a young Major was ordered in action in Suez. It threw him into despair.

Lord Dobbs said: “The Suez war one he thought to be dishonourable.”

So faced with a decision between conscience and career, he chose conscience.

“His choice wasn’t easy but for Jim it was inevitable.”

“It was the sort of sacrifice that marked out a man of honour.”

But Lord Dobbs said the finest decision he made was to marry Winifred – a decision he made with characteristic impatience.

“On their first date he managed to find some pretext to strip down to his swimming trunks and display his well-tanned torso.

“It was only a couple of days later he decided he wanted to marry her.

“Did I mention that Jim could be a little bit impatient? It was the finest decision of his life.

“Winfy became his life, his soul, his future, his conscience, his mentor and his accomplice.

“There were three guiding values in his life, service, service and service.

“In 23 years as west Dorset MP he was to show that commitment time and time again.

“He had both the heart and frequently the roar of a lion, a great British lion.”

He was sent on some difficult diplomatic missions to the most odious people on the planet – people like Saddam Hussein, Ceausescu and Assad.

Lord Dobbs touched on Sir James’ charitable work.

“The number he supported was extraordinary.”

To mark his 70th birthday he swam across the Thames for Macmillan and Water Aid.

Speaker Betty Boothroyd summed him up: “This man is an idiot but I have promised to support him so here I am am.”

The congregation at St Mary's remembers a friend

Lord Dobbs concluded: “He was a lovable generous spirited English gent. That is why there are so many of us here today to honour him.

“His life’s journey is done. Along the way he left the world a far better place.”

As in so much of his life the family left the last word to Sir James with his Saturday Live interview.

He told the interview of his meetings with world leaders like Saddam Hussein.

Sir James said: “He gained notoriety by being angry with someone he was having an audience with and pulled out a pistol and shot him dead.”

He said he didn’t work off a fact sheet “I am just me, I do what I think to be right and if it is wrong, I take the blame.

“I am not an important man in the world, but I am my own man.”

His own man: Sir James Spicer