My brother was murdered last night.

[MetallicHighlights]

That's it, really. He was stabbed to death on his doorstep. Just been staring at the photo of his house with the forensic tent outside on the BBC website.

I've been spamming FB with maudlin photos but reckon my friends there have probably had enough by now, so have come here to rant instead.

DD (14) adored him. She is being very brave. DS doesn't know yet as it's his 5th birthday today and I wanted him to have one more day of fun before he learns that life is shit.

So how do we get through this?

Very sorry for your loss, sending best wishes to you and your family

I am so sorry.

Small boy has announced that to remember Uncle Jon he is going to visit every one of his castles and put up a sign saying. "Uncle Jon was here". I'm sure English Heritage / Cadw will be absolutely delighted.

Ahh what a sweet boy.

Aww, small boy sounds wonderful! I hope he achieves his want. Much love to you all. X

bless him, so sweet.

did Jon have a favourite castle?

I'm so very sorry.

I have found these lines from AE Houseman to be of comfort in a similar position:

They carry back bright to the coiner the mintage of man,
The lads that will die in their glory and never be old.

RIP Jon what an awful thing to happen. My thoughts and prayers with you and your family. Take care.

So very sorry to hear about this awful tragedy in your family, Metallic - I hope they nail the bastard who took your lovely brother from you. I have also seen his photo and he looked lovely - a really nice man. :(

I love your small boy's idea of putting up monuments to his Uncle Jon at every castle he went to - and why not indeed. I hope he is able to do so.

No useful wisdom to give you really, just lots of love and strength to you all.

Oh I am welling up at small boy's plaque plan!

Thinking of you all, and sending you whatever the strength the internet can carry to make it through another day.

I'm so sorry for your loss. RIP Jon.

I wonder if you could have a plaque of sorts at a castle Jon loved
.... I can imagine it on a bench in the grounds with a beautiful view and saying "This was Uncle Jon's favourite castle" x

CinnabarRed, those words are so him. Thank you for sharing them.

According to Jon choosing a favourite castle was
much harder than choosing a favourite child! Beeston was the last one we went to together. There's a tiny little crawl hole you can get through to the inside of one of the towers, but it's too small for adults. Jon was delighted to discover that Small Boy fitted through the hole and armed him with a camera so he could find out what the inside looked like. Many friends on FB have already volunteered to join us on a castle visiting odyssey.

DD's school were fantastic on the phone today, they have already taken steps to put support in place. Kids playing happily now.

God I am so sorry, thinking of you and your family

I honestly don't think I'll ever be able to look at another castle without thinking about him.

I don't know why. some people just have an effect on you in the most unusual way and he has inspired me.

and that is how people who are gone live on.

In a 6 degrees of separation moment a friend of a friend has posted about your brother on Facebook (you know how things pop up in news feeds) & several people are sharing fond memories of him. He sounds lovely & your loss is so immense. Thinking of your family.

Mettalic. I second the suggestion to contact Winstons Wish. They really helped my ds2 when he lost his Dad and Grandad within a few years of each other. You sound an amazingly brave lady.

So sorry for your loss.

Zing, it would be lovely if you did think of him at a castle. Make sure you picture him having a bit of a rant because he's found one tiny factual error in the guidebook, then taking photos of a wall which looks like stones to any normal human being but is in fact some incredibly important Norman something or other.

We have had a lot of friends and family over this evening sharing stories and looking at old photos. His poor mates kept starting an anecdote, realising the end was perhaps not quite suitable for telling his mum, and getting all flustered. It was lovely but at the same time drove home so very hard what we have lost.

Someone is coming tomorrow to talk to the kids and both schools are arranging help as well. They are bearing up.

But the most disturbing news of the day - my colleagues at work have sent me a photo of my beautifully tidied desk. I will never find anything ever again...

So very, very sorry that you have lost your brother in such a shocking and senseless manner. Thinking of you all. Xxx

I will take my DS to visit a castle this year in memory of your brother - possibly Castle Acre on a re-enactment day. Have you been there?

How are you all today? (stupid question x)

Oh Metallic, I saw this story the other day (I'm from W) and now I've seen this thread.

So, so sorry for your loss.

Metallic

I'm great at spotting imperfections, so definitely will do a rant for him!