Happy Birthday Emmy. I’ll be coming to visit today. You left just before the world was turned upside down. Not sure what you’d have made of it all, but thankfully you didn’t have the daily worry that nursing homes have struggled with. Always in my thoughts my dear friend ❤️

I think you’ll agree that Mum was an incredible woman. Incredibly adventurous,.. after all she gave me the travel bug. She was incredibly talented, an artist, a show jumper, a gymnast, a footballer. She just wasn’t incredible at karaoke...sorry mum but we’ve heard your rendition of boy zones ‘words’ enough times to draw that conclusion. No amount of Bacardi breezers are going to make that better. She was incredibly resilient and dealt with a lot of hardship in her life, but soldiered on no matter what. and not forgetting... incredibly stubborn. She was a tomboy and taught me it was ok to be friends with guys, and break the usual girly stereotype. She encouraged my festival addiction and made me live life to the fullest just as she did. And I’m so glad she did, because it was unfairly cut short for her. It all started with being brought up singlehandedly by my lovely Grandad, or Pops as many refer to him. Mum’s first love came at age 13, her boy Charlie, who she was wholly devoted to. Arsenal became her other love and she travelled all over with Grandad going to games. Years later my dad came along on her birthday and managed to get Mrs sensible to buy a house and after 3 months, and Mrs sensible became Mrs H as Auntie rain would say. She then sneakily coaxed her favourite of my grandmas tabby kittens out from behind the TV where they’d been born and so 2 became 4. Not long after that I came along to make 5 and the pair of them continued to jet around the world on her staff travel to exotic places like Thailand and South Africa but with a 6 month old baby in tow, much to the horror of the rest of the business class passengers on our BA flights. Fast forward a few years and mum attempted to cure my fear of dogs by getting what turned out to be Mums absolute world, our lively Jack Russell, Sparky. Or Heinrich Von sparkenhurst as Uncle Roger liked to call him. Sparky and Tom idolised Mum and she adored them. Mum and I, and the animals spent Friday evenings while Dad was at the pub with Richard, watching dirty dancing and mum would recite every line from memory. I don’t know why we bothered watching it. In my last year of uni Mum wasn’t well and life got tricky. But she soldiered on, going to see her other love, Gary Barlow whenever she could, taking Thomas the tank (her oxygen cylinder) with her. Unable to fly, Mum and Dad began touring around the UK on weekends, going to all the places the roads surrounding our house were named after, even meeting up with TC in Plymouth. They had many trips to Norfolk zipping around on Segways with the Galvin family. When Dad passed we got a rescue silver tabby, Keira to keep Mum company at home. I thought I had a bit more time to watch dirty dancing for the 1000th time with Keira and her, but mums incredible resilience was no more, and Grandad had to say goodbye to his only child and I had to say goodbye to my remaining parent. But Mum is back with my Dad and the animals, and as Auntie D said, back with her mum who she hasn’t seen in a very long time.

Dear Jane, we're so sorry we couldn't be with you yesterday to say our goodbyes, but you were in our thoughts and prayers and all the family too. We are so glad you (and Guy) were a part of our lives and we will cherish those happy memories forever. Rest in peace dear one - reunited with Gary once more. God bless you and keep you both in his loving care. Jackie & Alan xx