Dear Great Nanny You are gone, but you will never be forgotten. Your personality was always far too big for that to happen. Everyone who knew you - and there are many - will have such differing memories of you. I have the homely childhood memories of Friday night "tea" at your house in Westwood. You liberally buttering the edge of the huge loaves of bread before sawing off slices with your huge bread knife, and the huge steaming cups of tea drank in front of your roaring Rayburn. Childhood memories of playing in the plum tree and coal shed in your garden and taking long, long walks with you and Aunty Peggy. Daisy and John have much more recent memories, and by introducing Daisy to your piano keyboard, and singing with her when she was little, you opened up a whole world of musical ambition in her - one that she is realising in such a passionate way now. I will always remember you as the strong, vibrant, popular woman who loved jokes, loved her garden and walking for hours in the glorious Wiltshire countryside. The woman who showed me where the wild asparagus grew, tickled me with Honeysuckle, checked if "liked butter" with buttercup heads under my chin and taught me how to avoid the adders by looking for the "snake plant" ... Eventually life did weary you, your huge light grew a little dimmer, but you were still in there ... The last time we saw you, the glorious weather allowed us to take you into the garden. You felt the sun on your face whilst we held your hand and described the garden and birdsong to you ... You are now with Grampy and Steven. We shall miss you greatly, but your strength of spirit, sharp mind and dark humour - and especially your legacy of the love of song and piano to Daisy - will live on for all of us. Sleep deeply in peace now Great Nanny. With all our love Julie John and Daisy
