My dad Peter, brother RIchard, myself and our families would like to thank everyone who joined us and sent so many cards to the house and messages on social media to remember and celebrate the life of a beloved wife, mother, grandma and community lynchpin.

An ordinary person who did extraordinary things

In this blog we share how we remembered and celebrated:

A life well lived, with kindness, generosity, gratitude and a love for everything and all

And how you can be part of her legacy.

We hope you enjoy these photos and videos

First here’s a summary video of the celebration service… the full service is further down the page.

The Commendation

Weds 6th April - Hereford Crematorium

A sad, reflective day

Live stream of service

To replay this click here
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Order of Service

To see the order of service click here

The Celebration

Thurs 7th April - St Laurence’s Ludlow

A joyous day, to be inspired by

Beautiful photos here by Darren Musgrove Photography of Ludlow.

Please contact me (nickcorston@hotmail.com) if you’d like any of these photos blurred/removed for privacy reasons.

VIDEO OF SERVICE

Click below to watch the full service

ORDER OF SERVICE

Click here to download a copy.

MANY THANKS

We are indebted to Rev Kelvin Price, his team and the community at St Laurence’s Church Ludlow for both making all this possible and the love they’ve shown to mum.

Particular thanks to Sue Thornley and the ladies who provided the most beautiful flower arranegments for the church and celebrants to take home.

Also to Matthew Lenthall for all his help with audio visual and projections in the church and Michael Oakley, Director of Music and The Choir of St Laurence’s Ludlow.

Stephen Hoskins of Hoskins Undertakers of Ludlow was also a rock to the family.

MUM’S LEGACY

It’s only recently that I was reminded of mum and dad’s work running a summer arts and crafts play scheme in Ludlow after I’d left home and how similar it is to the work I do now.

A lovely carer came to see mum when she came home from hospital and told her how she’d attended the play scheme herself.

Even the district nurse on her first visit, said to mum, “I know you”, I’ve had your photo on my kitchen wall for over 20 years, a clipping from Ludlow Advertiser with her daughter and another mum, Gary Ward’s mum Pat who also helped out.

Ludlow Play Scheme was the best example of ordinary people doing extra ordinary things, helping give children those three greatest gifts of time, stories and a passion, their art with which they might make a little or a lot of money with one day, make a few friends, maybe even, heaven forbid, make the world a better place.

She was just the same when she popped up for a event I ran at the Engenuity Museum in Ironbridge a few years ago, she was not going to leave.

Or when making paper rockets with children at Ludlow Primary School on Clee View, my old school.

I’ve realised recently how much I took mum for granted and how she not only gave me those gifts, but how she’s inspired me to give them to others in my work and how I and it can be part of her legacy.

That was my promise to her the first Monday morning she had back at home and that’s my mission as you can see here.

The monday after Mum came home from hospital I went on BBC Radio Shropshire before visiting St Lawrence Primary school where I launched the #OurMillion22 appeal to try to raise a million in the three months she had been given.

We looked at the film above and listened to the radio interview that night and dreamed big together.

Mum passed away the next day holding our hands.

I’ve since been given a $50,000 match fund offer to get the ball rolling, but need to match so click here if you can help by chipping in a quid.

With the money I will put a STEAM Co. Creativity Day Drop Truck on the road in Shropshire and pay somone to run creativity days in schools and communities across the county, North Wales and the West Midlands, for free in many cases.

I also want to get a fully kitted out mobile internet tv studio on the road in a camper van and run a community art festival over a weekend in the Autumn on a site near Ludlow that I visited with mum.

Yes she and dad inspired me to aim high and dream big.

I am part of her leggacy. Will you be?