Yesterday saw the funeral take place for Mrs O’s mum. So much has happened in these last three weeks but this was the big event. I went out early on the bike and the morning light was truly beautiful. It was a familiar route but I seemed to see things differently. The light was very different with beautiful light lavendar streaked morning clounds against a soft blue sky. The Gipping had all manner of floating detritus – beer cans, packets, bottles- all trapped in pond weed – a possible project there.

Soon enough it was time to go to the crematorium. Many people were already there. It astounds me as to how news travels around to the extended friendship circles that an invidual has. Somehow they all come to light at funerals. Mrs O had worked very hard to get the messages right for the service and it was getting the words right and sequencing the music that was a big feature last week. Kate at the CO-OP, – who else do you use, advised us of a very good celebrant and Donna did a first class job. I have been to many services over the years and this had to be the best one in terms of delivery and story telling and that is what it is all about at the end – anecdotes and stories of the departed that make the event a joyous one and not a harrowing one.

We both knew that a renewable source material was the choice for the coffin and the sea grass basket looked a picture with the very simple almost meadow flower tribute draped on top. Mrs O’s mum loved her garden and stuffed plants here there and everywhere and Christine’s did a perfect job. The sight of such a delightful send off got to me a bit. Mrs O’s mum had served other people most of her married and widowed life but she had a life before marriage where she rejoiced in international travel and positively loved Dior’s New Look. I saw the basket as her New Look dress that she used to talk about so fondly. Such luxuries never existed for her as a child or during and after the war and the music was very well chosen too by Mrs O and Donna selected one track from the Mission- a complete surprise to Mrs O but it is one of her favourite films so that worked very well.

Mrs O had chosen the Woolpack in Ipswich for the funeral lunch as she goes there most Mondays. She can’t wait to get to the pub on a Monday morning as she meets up with a knitting group there and what a pub. I have been in no more than maybe 4 times since the early 80’s but tucked away on Tuddenham Road it is just the other side of our back garden – Christchurch park. They served a superb buffet lunch. You have just got to try their sausage roll and Scotch eggs washed down with a few pints of Adnams.

A sad but happy day.