LISTENING TO THE LOVELY TRIBUTES TO ANNA, I HAD TO REWRITE MY THOUGHTS AS I FEEL I COULDN'T ADD MUCH MORE TO THEM AS IT WAS THE LADY I KNEW, THEY SUMMED UP ANNA IN SUCH A BEAUTIFUL WAY. I HAVE KNOWN ANNA FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS. GRAEME AND ANNA LIVED A TOTALLY DIFFERENT LIFESTYLE TO MYSELF AND MY FAMILY WITH 3 CHILDREN AND WE WERE'NT ON THE SAME WAVELENGTH FOR MUCH OF THE TIME,HOWEVER IN THE LAST 12 YEARS OR SO WE STARTED TO MAKE A ONCE A YEAR GET TOGETHER FOR A MEAL ESPECIALLY TO HONOUR THE PASSING OF ALL OUR PARENTS, WITH MY HUSBAND IAN AND OUR SISTER SHIRLEY AND HUSBAND BOB. THIS THEN STARTED TO BECOME MORE FREQUENT AND EVENTUALLY CULMINATING IN THE FAMOUS FAMILY FIREWORK NIGHT DISPLAY. ACTUALLY IT WAS A BIT OF A DAMP SQIB BUT THE PROSECO WAS A BIT OF A BANGER ||| THE BOND WITH ANNA WAS GROWING STRONGER AND WE HAD MANY OTHER GOOD NIGHTS TOGETHER. DURING LOCKDOWN WE STARTED SATURDAY 5PM FAMILY ZOOM/ GIN NIGHTS WHERE WE COMPARED OUR DRINKS AND THIS INCLUDED THE WALK-ON PART FROM RORY THE CAT WHO BECAME QUITE A CELEBRITY. ANNA ALSO ENJOYED GRAEME'S FUNNY TALES AND JOKES AND GAVE US GREAT JOY HEARING ANNA LAUGH AND JOIN IN THE FUN I THINK IT WAS SOMETHING NOT ONLY US BUT ANNA LOOKED FORWARD TO. OUR LAST MEMORY WILL BE THE GREAT TIME WE SPENT IN SOMERSET SUCH A SHORT TIME AGO. THEIR DISASTROUS STAY AT THE GEORGE HOTEL WHICH MADE US ALL LAUGH EVENTUALLY. ANNA ACTUALLY TOLD ME IT WAS THE BEST TIME SHE'D HAD IN YEARS, IF ONLY WE'D KNOWN IT WAS OUR LAST MEMORY. IT SEEMS SO UNFAIR JUST AS THE LIGHT CAME ON IT WAS SO QUICKLY TURNED OFF I FOUND THIS SHORT POEM I WOULD LIKE TO DEDICATE TO MY DEAR BROTHER GRAEM AND THE LOVE HE SHARED WITH ANNA A GENTLE SWEET LADY. MAY YOU BE BLESSED ON YOUR FINAL JOURNEY ANNA Poem : Still Held Words seem so feeble In moments like these. Life is so precious, And death such a thief. The depths of your pain I cannot comprehend, But I will stand along side you in the darkness my friend Love is a bond that death cannot part. Gone from your arms, but still held in your heart.