After my Saturday run Sue and I got the train to Brighton and met up with Keith's sister Brenda and Jane, Alison and Graham, her old colleagues from Hargrave Park, where Sue first met Keith. During brunch Brenda gave us each a small pot of Keith's ashes to do with as we wished and confirmed her intention to scatter a larger pot on the beach, Brighton being one of his favourite haunts.
After brunch we wandered around the Lanes and Sue and I reminded ourselves why we like Brighton so much - a slightly louche London-on-sea, pretentious but able to take the piss out of itself and home, bless it, of Britain's first green MP. It doesn't deserve to be stuck in the UK really, it should have itself towed into the middle of the English Channel and begin a new life as a cool version of Jersey. I bought a pair of Doc Martins with part of Uccello's the Battle of San Romano printed on them, which seemed the right thing to do. Then we made our way to the seafront, scrunching across the shingle in the teeth of a strengthening breeze.
The ash scattering was a fun mess, very appropriate really, as we staggered around barefoot in the surf, scattering roses and trying not to fall over or get ash in each other's eyes. Then we had a toast to Keith with plastic glasses filled with champagne, which Brenda had bought in Marks and Spencer.
RIP Keith Ramptahal, too soon gone.
Doug, catching up with your summer. Hargrave Park? School in Archway? My wife, Louise, was a governor there (1997-2002).
ReplyDeleteBest wishes, Chris
Hi Chris, sorry, just caught up with this. How funny. Sue was the Deputy Head there until she got the job as Head of Moreland School, another Islington Primary. I think she left in 1997 so I don't now if they ever met. I'll ask Sue.
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