Babette’s Funeral
28 August 2021
Andrew Bluett-Duncan
Director
St Mary's Church, Chart Lane, Reigate RH2 7RN
Babette’s Funeral
We now have a date for Babette’s funeral, which is Thursday 9th September at 3.00pm, at St Marys Church, Reigate.
If you would like to come to say good bye to her, please do so. There are now no government restrictions, officially, and I certainly want anyone who knew and valued her friendship to attend without fear of Covid.
Although we appear to have it reasonably under control, the virus is still around and it can still kill, so….
To attend the gathering, could I ask you to…
- Take a Lateral Flow test the morning of the funeral.
- You should be double jabbed.
- RSVP. Please let me know if you are coming so we get an idea of numbers for the church seating and for catering afterwards.
And thus, I think, we can safely enjoy our time together celebrating Babette’s life, both in the church and afterwards back at our home, where you’ll be very welcome to continue what we started in the church. So please come along and we’ll aim to have something there to sustain you and keep you watered.
Banstead Shop
We managed, somehow, to re-open the Banstead shop last week, so well done Eve and Gemma, Jeanne and Em for achieving this quite tall order, because it’s still rammed with Website stock, even if it’s much reduced compared with last year.
And before you get too excited, if you’re a Banstead customer, we can only manage 4 part days a week at present.
So the hours are
11.00am to 3.00pm
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
So just 4 days a week for the moment.
That’s it for this week, there is much to do and little time in which to do it, so once again please forgive my brevity.
I think it’ll be a while before normal service resumes!
Kind regards to you and a pleasant weekend.
Andrew
P.S. If you feel moved to reply to my email, may I ask you to do so here, partly and selfishly so I don’t feel obliged to reply, and I want everyone to see how she has been seen in her life.
For instance, for me she has been such a force for questioning the status quo that, if you have example you want to share of how she touched your life, I’d be delighted to hear it and suspect others will as well.
Thank you.”
Dear Andrew, I have not met Babette but felt I grew to know her through her contributions to your own weekly news. I hugely admired her ability to analyse and express her feelings about her illness and treatments both abroad and here, an attribute that my own French friends seem to have naturally and one which the English tend to lack. I have been too touched by her courage and that of her family to write and express the impressive way you have all handled the situation and hugely appreciate the invitation to us all to attend the funeral. I am unable to be there but hope it will be a joyous send off, full of wonderful memories of better times.
Dear Andrew, Family and Art of Living Family. I shall be thinking of Babette and all of you on the day and time of the funeral. I only really knew Babette latterly via our e-mail exchanges, so think it better for me to leave a space for those many people who knew her well. She will be much missed.
Dear Andrew and family. I will be thinking of you at Babette’s funeral service in September. It will be I’m sure a beautiful and moving service in a lovely place. Nothing can take away the underlying sadness but Babette will be around helping you all to think of all her wonderful memories she has left for you. Much love to you all.
Dear Andrew and family, I am sorry for your loss. I feel I know Babette a little because your emails. I tried sourdough bread because of Babette. I live in Banstead and love your shop there. Love to you all, Elizabeth
Andrew, I will be attending Babette’s funeral and will comply with the covid precautions requested. Having known and worked with Babette for 18 years I know what a kind, compassionate lady she is. If bringing her flowers would have changed the outcome, I would have brought them every day.