Absent Friends

Every Christmas dinner, after ‘the cook’, Dad would ask us to raise our glasses in a toast to “absent friends”.  Mum and Dad lived through, and served in the RAF in, World War Two and I think this was a particularly poignant moment for them.  I remember my absent friends in another way. 

 

From Facebook archives

22 December 2019 at 16:43 

The fireplace dressed for Christmas, and protected from candle smoke. 

Whenever someone I'm fond of passes away they join the band of angels on my Christmas tree.   

I was in a charity shop the other day looking for one to represent Paula when I found this little teddy-head candle holder. 

She was an arctophile, who collected, was given and made hundreds of teddies.  

It started with the one 16E Richardson Road (the student flat we, Dr E, Dr D, Mrs Fitz, Peter Ceylon and others shared) gave her as a 21st birthday present 

I now have him.

This is now front and centre on the mantelpiece.

Her light will shine.