Ashes and things

The last of Ali’s ashes are still waiting to be buried, as she wished, near her birthplace.

This Saturday 8th September a few of us will gather on the Westwood outside Beverley (East Yorkshire) at 2.30pm (for 3pm) just short of the Walkington Road cattlegrid – which is a left fork off the A1075 York Road out of Beverley. We will be mostly friends and family from the northeast and just a few from further afield. It will be a simple and brief moment – prayers, songs, readings and burying the ashes. Hopefully we will do some reminiscing afterwards wherever people regroup. Tea afterwards at Little Weighton with Ali’s Uncle and Aunt (Peter and Moira) is being offered - please contact Mark Kensett on mlk@fish.co.uk for directions and to let us know you are coming. There is also a chance for us to get together at the Green Dragon in Welton from 7.30pm that night.

To mark six months since Ali died – and this really is for anyone who may wish to join us – we want to do a simple “remembering time” at our home on Tuesday October 2nd starting with regular Tuesday night singing/music at 8.30pm, prayers at 9.30pm (until 10pm) and then a vigil and sharing-time through into the early hours of Wed 3rd October. This is I think a much-needed chance to gather together - memories, songs, prayers, pictures – anything people feel is appropriate to express how much we are missing Ali.

Please make some comments appear on this blog for use that evening if you wish. Or send an email to me at chrisalawrence@mac.com. All of that is for the grown-ups . For any children who wish to join in - we will probably plan a visit to Ali’s tree, plant some bulbs, do some singing. Meet at Springfield Park in front of the café in the big white house on top of the park at 4pm on Wednesday 3rd October. Check the blog that day if it’s raining hard!

This blog is being wound up soon, probably coinciding with the October 2nd vigil and sharing time. If you wish to have a “published” hard-copy version of this blog – in some form - please let me have a postal address for you (EVEN if you think/know I already have it – this is to help me delegate the job of posting them out – possibly as early as this December). Email me your name and postal address to my new email account chrisalawrence@mac.com during September (and no later please). We don’t know quite how we can get the blog published as hard copy – so any ideas please contact me!

There may be a successor blog from me and Asha and Kirin – that is still being decided…

Finally what incredible generosity from so many people who have responded to Ali’s desire that we send money donations not flowers at Ali’s funeral! As a result this week we are sending £3000 to Armonia and £3000 to WaterAid. More funds will probably trickle in - we will be collecting until the end of September– details of what these charities are and who to send donations to - see April 9, 2007 blog entry.


Thanks for reading – and comments – more please if you don’t mind – it does keep me going.

Love Chris.