Funeral Streaming for Brian Culcheth — 1978 British Rally Champion, Porlock, Somerset
It was a real privilege to provide funeral live streaming for the funeral of Brian Culcheth — the 1978 British Rally Champion and one of the most respected names in British motorsport history. Brian passed away on 11 September 2022 at his home in Porlock, Somerset, after a short illness. He was 84.
His funeral brought together family, close friends, and a motorsport community that had followed his career for decades. Many of them could not travel — friends and fellow drivers from across the UK and around the world — so the family decided to have the service live streamed. On the day, nearly 400 people across 14 countries joined live. It was a beautiful service, filled with emotional, heartfelt tributes and an outpouring of love from everyone who had known him.
I had the pleasure of working alongside Robson & Stephens Funeral Services from Minehead on the day — a team whose care and professionalism always makes a difficult job feel well managed.
Who Was Brian Culcheth?
Brian Culcheth (1938–2022) was born in Camden Town, London, the son of a coal merchant, and went on to become one of the most accomplished and admired rally drivers of his generation. His career spanned over two decades — more than 125 national and international rally starts across 53 countries — during what many regard as the golden era of British rallying.
He spent most of his career as a works driver for BMC/British Leyland and Triumph, where he was known for being versatile, dependable and extraordinarily capable in whatever car he was given. During that time he achieved 7 outright wins and 21 class wins, competing in events that have become the stuff of legend — the 1968 London to Sydney Marathon, the 1970 London to Mexico World Cup Rally, and the first ever televised Rallycross event at Lydden Hill, with Murray Walker commentating.
But the achievement that perhaps defined him most was winning Finland's 1,000 Lakes Rally in a Morris Marina — becoming the first non-Scandinavian driver ever to win the event. The 1,000 Lakes was and remains one of the fastest and most demanding rallies in the world, set on the narrow, fast forest roads of Finland where the Scandinavian drivers had always dominated. Winning it at all was considered almost impossible for a British driver. Winning it in a Morris Marina — a car Brian had spent considerable time and expertise engineering into a genuine competitor — was the kind of achievement that stays in the record books permanently.
He summed up his own career with characteristic directness: "It was frustrating that after a 14-year association with BMC/BL, I never won a championship — but after just one year at Opel, I became a champion." That came in 1978, driving an Opel Kadett GT/E, winning his class in all seven rounds of the British Rally Championship against fierce international competition.
Brian retired from competitive driving at the end of the 1979 season. He later settled in Porlock on the Somerset coast, where he died surrounded by his family.
Nearly 400 Viewers Across 14 Countries — Why This Service Needed Live Streaming
Motorsport builds communities that span the world — former co-drivers, fellow competitors, mechanics, team managers, organisers, marshals, and fans who followed careers closely across decades and continents. When someone like Brian dies, the people who want to be there to say goodbye are scattered everywhere.
Brian's long-term co-driver and close friend Johnstone Syer had predeceased him in April 2021. But the community they had been part of together — in Finland, in Mexico, at Lydden Hill, at countless British rallies — was very much still there, and very much wanting to be present.
The family's decision to live stream the service gave all of them that chance. Viewers joined from across the UK, from motorsport communities in Finland and across Scandinavia, from other parts of Europe, and from further afield. The private viewing link was shared through the rally community — clubs, forums, social media groups — and the response showed exactly how many lives Brian's career had touched.
The Service in Somerset
Somerset's churches and chapels are beautiful but they are not always straightforward for streaming. Thick stone walls, older PA systems, and patchy mobile coverage in rural areas can all create problems if you are relying on a single network or a basic setup.
For Brian's service I arrived early, set up and tested everything before guests arrived, and checked final details with the funeral director and the officiant. The setup included:
Four bonded 4G/5G internet connections — combining multiple networks simultaneously to give a stable feed even in an area where any single signal might be unreliable. This is standard for all my funeral streaming, and particularly important in rural Somerset.
Professional microphones — positioned on the officiant and at the lectern, capturing every tribute and reading clearly for the hundreds of people watching from home.
Multi-camera coverage — one camera holding a steady wide shot throughout, a second offering closer views of the speakers and the family, and an additional camera outside capturing the hearse arrival and guests gathering before the service.
Everything was kept as discreet as possible — compact cameras, tidy cabling, no obtrusive rigs or bright lights. The aim, as always, was that people in the room noticed nothing while those watching online felt completely included.
What the Family Received
After the service, Brian's family received:
A full HD recording of the complete live stream, from the arrival outside the church to the final moments of the service
A private viewing link remaining available for 12 months — so those who couldn't watch live could return to it in their own time
A downloadable HD copy to keep permanently alongside the photographs and memories from Brian's long and remarkable life
Funeral Streaming in Somerset
If you are arranging a funeral in Somerset — whether in Taunton, Minehead, Bridgwater, Yeovil, Bath, Weston-super-Mare, or a smaller village or town — and are considering funeral live streaming to include family or friends who cannot attend in person, I'm happy to talk through what would work for your service.
I have worked with Robson & Stephens Funeral Services in Minehead and other Somerset funeral directors on multiple occasions, and am familiar with the venues, the terrain, and the connectivity challenges the county presents.
Call or text me on 07772 509101 — available seven days a week, 9am to 10pm — or get in touch online.
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