The Advent candle is lit, most of my cards are now up, I have a roaring fire, just two sleeps until Jesus’ birthday and it’s not raining! What more could a girl want?
So many cards I have received have contained thoughtful messages which I really appreciate. A few cards were addressed to Mr and Mrs and one or two to just Simon so I’ve been writing letters and doing some detective work to find contact details. I was particularly pleased to receive this response from Michael Diamond who was Chair of the Yorkshire Arts Visual Arts Panel for part of the time when Simon was the Visual Arts Officer for Yorkshire Arts from 1978 to 1985 (Michael’s ‘real job at the time was Director of Bradford Museums).
‘As you know, Simon and I had become just Christmas card friends over the years, but our initial contact was, I think, important to both of us and certainly left a huge impression in my mind. I was of course, as others witness, immediately impressed by his imagination and enthusiasm, and by the way he constantly came up with that extra little dimension for everything he dealt with. Our ‘big moment’ came when Peter Murray at Bretton Hall College submitted a grant application for £1000 to pay for a sculpture trail to be installed in the grounds at Bretton the following summer. Simon and I looked at each other and both said ‘this could be much more than just a one-off job’. We went to Bretton to talk to Peter, and the Yorkshire Sculpture Park was born. So there you are – it was me and Simon wot did it! I left Yorkshire in 1980 to become Director of Birmingham Museums, so we drifted somewhat apart. But although we never became close buddies I always remembered that ‘big moment’, and Simon’s huge contribution to it. I am really saddened that such a huge talent is no longer with us’.
Yes of course I am missing Simon lots and last week I had some days when I felt really low and certainly not peaceful in mind and spirit but I went to witness a wedding of a local girl who I used to teach on Friday lunch time and then had a lovely time at the Smiley Faces Christmas party – also in church as that’s where the mum/baby/toddler/grandparent group that I help to lead every Friday afternoon meets – and my spirits lifted. The couple getting married were bubbling over with happiness and I have rarely seen a bridegroom so excited. It was lovely to hear him say that it was the most right thing he’d ever done in his life. Yesterday afternoon was also special as I was invited to join the Malhamdale ladies and a group of Muslim ladies and their daughters in the Quaker Meeting House in Airton. After lunch together, lamb or vegetable hotpot and red cabbage, we made 150 Christingles which we later took to Kirkby Malham church (after tea or fruit punch, Christmas cake and Wensleydale cheese, scones and Stollen) where they were distributed this afternoon during a special Christingle service. I worked with a lovely lady and her two daughters and niece from Bradford and a Dutch lady, who had just arrived to spend Christmas with her sister who lives at High Trenhouse on Malham Moor.
My daughter’s words in her Christmas newsletter ring true with me too so I’d like to finish with them. I hope this Christmas finds you healthy, happy and not far away from someone you love. I will be with Eve and her family on Christmas Day so I will certainly be near to four people I love very much.
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