i had a group of 4 mate from an autism online group i have been part of for 8 years we have met up lots of times and they travelled up from bristol to be with us, here follows the email she sent to the group after yesterday. i jusy love the way see sees things and describes them... with thanks to cut and paste......
As you all know...today our dear ol' mate Jo, Abbey, Bethan and Elliot said
their final goodbyes to Steve.
C were represented by S, R, H and myself.
The service was exceptionally well attended, as befits a man who was
universally well loved, and was beautifully and very thoughtfully put
together if I may say so Mrs B, you did your man proud lovie, right
down to the bamboo coffin...yeah I know he would've said it was too
expensive, but...hey I want one when I go.
Steve's favourite song "Solsbury Hill" by Peter Gabriel saw Steve in and
out. Eva Cassidy's version of "Songbird" was heart rending and the version
of "Somewhere over the rainbow" sung by a little girl whose name I don't
know I'm afraid, but which in the past reduced both Steve and Jo to tears,
had the same effect on all four of your representatives.
The poems were poignant and unusual, and one in particular (I thought), was
so thoroughly Steve it set more than just me off again.
Steve's inlaws tried twice to disrupt the service, but they were no match
for either Jo's MANY friends who rallied round to protect Jo and the
children so well I felt I needn't have bothered sharpening the point on the
tip of me big golfing umbrella.
Jo - you are one classy lady. Not ONCE did your composure slip...you were
dignity personifed. You held it together beautifully babe, you and the kids
can be rightly proud of yourself....as Steve would have been.
On your behalf ladies and gentlemen, we met, hugged and thanked Tracey, and
Paul, Debbie, Sharon and Julie...had it come to it I would have fought all
three of the others off - and WON - to hug all 6' 7" of the gorgeous Danny
(the kids' social worker), but he didn't hang around long...(maybe it was me
sitting down next to him and saying "Sooo...and who are YOU?"...hmmm)... to
thank them for looking after our girl. It's good to know Jo has such good
friends close to hand.
In order to fulfill Jo's wish that we all raise a spoon of trifle to her
bloke today, at Jo's house afterwards, Ruth, Sal and I (on C* behalf
you understand) did our best to consume as much of the three trifles Tracey
had made as we could, and though I think my third helping (with the
strawberries and cream on the side) may have been viewed by some as
excessive...I can only say it was consumed not only as a service to absent
c, but as a tribute to Steve.
Our journey up will be explained by others, I was concentrating too hard on
driving...suffice to say it was "interesting", and I think we managed to
scare a few lorry drivers on the way.
To Jo I can only say I aspire to only the tiniest fraction of your strength.
My thoughts are with you almost constantly.
Night night.
J