Ian's tie, on the day of days

This is Ian, a 'sound and music person' who often works for the BBC, in his colourful tie in Milverton, Somerset. We were gathered there to attend the funeral of our dear friend Helen, who died of a brain tumour last month, aged only 51.

We'd been instructed not to wear black, so when we got to the village, CleanSteve and Ian whipped out their colourful clothes: a multicoloured mohair sweater in Steve's case, and this tie in Ian's. Then we walked up to the church.

The service was beautiful, and very sad. The weather threw everything at us in roughly equal measure: bright sunshine, heavy showers of rain, and howling wind. After the wicker coffin was driven away to the crematorium (accompanied, I believe, by Helen's faithful hound, Gelert) we all convened in the centrally-located Victoria rooms for a fine spread of food and drink. It's less than a year ago since I attended just such an event in honour of my my 49-year-old friend, Lyn. Both friends are greatly missed by many, many many people.

We were invited back to the family house for a party much later, but we had to get back to Stroud for my friend Kitty's 50th birthday party. This turned out to be a lovely, lively dinner party, and somehow we didn't get to bed till 3 am. I woke at 6.13...

Ian, Helen and CleanSteve all worked together in the media industry in London in the 80s/90s, Helen and Steve as producers/campera-people, and Ian on the sound side. Helen continued to produce videos right up until her illness, and last time I saw her in August 2013 she was brimming over with ideas for a 1914/2014 documentary which sadly will now not get made.

Helen was an effervescent, colourful creative person, and I wrote a haiku on a tag that was laid out in a basket with some others, beside the flowers. Perhaps they had been intended to tie onto balloons, but the weather was against us? I was thinking about Helen, and balloons, and the eventual release of her ashes, when I wrote it.

Haiku for Helen

sparkle, brightness hope!
swirls of colour, trains of thought
now bursting skyward.