RIP PP: 17th January 1953 - 15th February 2025

I am very sad to report that PicturePoems died this morning. Surrounded by her family at the end, having been in hospital since the 18th of January, she finally succumbed to an awful, incurable and aggressive cancer. It had metastasised and spread almost throughout her body. Hayward House hospice in Nottingham eased her pain considerably and helped me, our son & our daughter to spend as much time with her as possible - essentially 24x7. They are wonderful people there.

We had known each other for 53 years. Our first kiss was at a Valentine's Day disco in 1973 at Loughborough University of Technology and our last was just up the road in Nottingham on Valentine's Day +1 2025 about seven months short of our golden wedding anniversary. I miss her deeply. So do our children, but we are there for each other.

As her acting deputy assistant understudy for the purposes of blipping, I know how important Blip was to her. I met a few of her blipmates in the course of our travels, but regret not knowing details of others with whom she had formed a special bond. She had said to me some time ago that there were several she would have liked to meet since moving up to Lincolnshire but the ducks never lined up.

The main picture is of the two of us being amused. It was a candid shot, taken by our son. We often made each other laugh (a lot) and she had a lovely, whimsical sense of humour.

The extras are of our children singing 'Maxwell's Silver Hammer' at her bedside, and the other is Celia eating at one of our favourite places in Funchal, Madeira last October. It was probably her last proper meal.

I added a couple more inspired by a memory (triggered by Bernard Young) of flying her up to a gathering of poets. One is of her checking in her luggage & the other picking it up from the baggage reclaim area. We had some good times.   

If any blippers would like to be notified of funeral arrangements, please send an email to RJAKW at PM dot ME and I'll keep you in the picture.