I feel I need to apologise for the radio silence, but the past few weeks have been in limbo, a strange eternity, that’s kinda there but not, but it’s getting to it. Sorry, that doesn’t make much sense either. Let’s go back to the beginning… a few weeks ago, nearly four if we’re going to be complicated, a huge thing happened. Why I’m comparing it to a thing, I’ve no idea, but that moment, changed, a lot, for a lot of us, and for all of us for the future. I’ve written about losing someone before, my father who this year will have been gone 21 years, but this isn’t really about me, it’s about Sam’s mum, and Emily’s granny, Jane.
Jane passed away in her sleep and it was so sudden, a terrible shock and still to this day, we’re still trying to get our heads around it. She was perfectly fine the day and night before, we had a lovely dinner whilst Sam was out with his friends, talked about the possibility of that Corrie villain making a return and off I went to bed. Sam saw her when he got back and bedtime soon came after for all of us. The next day was a blur. And now, even a few weeks later, after a lovely funeral with family and friends, it still sits at the back of my mind, how quickly she went. Thankfully peacefully in her sleep, which I suppose is the greatest comfort that she didn’t feel anything or would have known, but because it was so out of the blue, I still can’t quite believe it.
Jane was a one of a kind. I’ve not known someone who has ever quite moaned as much as she did, but she was a good craic, could beat anyone hands down at scrabble or the quiz shows she loved – seriously, the most random question and she’d still know the answer. She was very fond of her sons even though they knew how to wind her up, and her 6 grandchildren. She loved Bristol, Ramsgate, the people she looked after at work (she was a carer), books (although it seems she never read any but there was a library full in the front room) and of course, without a doubt she was the world’s biggest Gene Pitney fan.
It was a shock to all and the funeral turn out was lovely. Colleagues, friends, brothers, sister, nieces, nephews, sons and grandchildren, all joined in celebration of her life last Monday. As well as sunny weather, a beautiful eulogy from Danny, her eldest, a lovely service provided by Kate and songs from her one and only, there was a song by Michael Ball too, the day was lovely. A farewell to celebrate, remember and prepare for the next stage of our lives.
Although she has now gone, we must remember the good times we had- the jokes, the laughs, her love for Millwall, how to do a Duggee hug, how to make the best fry-up, and how important family is no matter how far we are from each other. She may be gone but a little part of her stays with all of us and we’ll continue to talk about her to Emily, who at 17m only knew her for a short while.
RIP Jane Castle | 1950 – 2018
Missy, Me & Him 