David Thurston's memorial and celebration

I was very sad to hear recently that my dear friend Dave Thurston had died aged 79. I think we met in 1973 but got to know each other better the following year when I returned from a four month holiday in Mexico and I was at a loose end. David needed a driver as he had lost his driving licence after being breathalysed, and he suggested I should take him around the country to see his friends. That cemented our friendship and lead me to meeting a wide range of his friends, many of whom were with us today at Dave’s memorial celebration.

In recent years he has moved with his wife Angie to Abergavenny, in South Wales to be near his son Jack, who organised today’s gathering. Dave began to suffer from Parkinson’s Disease about thirty years ago and had been living life to the full wherever he could. The various friends and family who spoke all alluded to the vitality, wit, creativity and friendship Dave brought to the world.

Dave trained as a journalist in 1960s Fleet Street, where he became known as ‘China’, a place where eventually he went to study at Peking (as it still was named then) University. He was also a great photographer and he eventually sold me his second camera, my first digital Canon camera, many years ago before I started blipping. I’ve always loved his witty photography which he later combined with his journalistic talents to create visualised stories for magazines, particularly when based in Hong Kong. He also had images selected for the Royal Academy Summer Exhibitions.

But I’m sure it was for his friendship and wonderful company that he will be most fondly remembered and adored by all those who knew him. 

During the service Jack mentioned that in the last few years when he was wheelchair bound that he and his wife Angie had set up a singing group with new friends he had made in his local community. They met weekly and the initial group of six had by now expanded to sixteen and they called themselves the Wednesday Warblers. Dave of course designed their logo and badges which they all wore when today they sang a song for him for the last time and we were all encouraged to join in.

The memorial celebration was held in The Chapel, now converted into an arts centre, situated beside Abergavenny’s wonderful Indoor Market. Helena rightly insisted we pop inside the market where I took a few quick snaps, one of which I’m pleased to have aded as an ‘Extra’.

We then went to Dave’s local pub, the Kings Arms, where we all had time to swap our stories. Many of us hadn’t seen each other for some years so it was great for me to catch up. I was particularly delighted to meet Ros K., who is Jack’s mother. I’d met her on the first day I met Dave as they were then married and had a smallholding on the edge of the Forest of Dean overlooking the River Severn estuary. Jack had just been born. I do hope we can see her again soon as she is a wonderful person, so I think we’ll have to go to Sussex to visit her.

Woodpeckers has posted her own Blip take on the day with a great picture, which has its own story. Do have a look.