Emma and I were friends for the best part of 35 years, and I have so many happy memories of her and our friendship.
 
We met early in our 2nd year at Secondary School, when I had the good fortune to sit behind Emma in Maths. As schoolfriends, we would go to each other’s house for tea, and I always really enjoyed tea at Emma’s house – it was always good fun! We used to sing along to The Carpenters in her room, and I always remember Emma having a great sense of humour, liking some of the ‘naughtier’ comedy around at the time! At school we ate our packed lunch together in the park, and as we got older we enjoyed having a cheeky look in the shops together at lunchtime! (Emma turned out to be the only person I ever enjoyed going shopping with!) I remember Emma having very ‘classic’ tastes, liking items from Liberty London and Rennie Mackintosh.
 
We both struggled a bit to find our way as teenagers, but fortunately we stayed friends. We both got weekend waitressing jobs at Emma’s local pub in Winthorpe, and both looked young for our age so neither of us were any good at getting served when we went drinking (underage) in Newark!
 
When I think of Emma I think of a beautiful, clever, kind, caring, generous person, always a supportive and encouraging friend. She was the kind of friend that remembered anniversaries and other significant dates, and she would always go the extra mile for you. (She always bought me my favourite chocolate whenever I saw her!) She made a huge effort for her friends and would always check in on you when she knew you were having a tough time. She was particularly supportive when my beloved husband, Nick, was ill and after he died, and would always remind me to be kind to myself. Emma was kind and generous in so many ways, and always had a kind word for others.
 
Emma and I shared a love of expensive beauty products! She always knew the latest ‘hot’ thing in make-up and beauty, and she always looked so glamorous and co-ordinated - her clothes, hair and make-up always looked beautiful. She had amazing skin and a beautiful smile – she was very photogenic, and I don’t think I ever saw a bad photo of Emma! In our 30’s, Emma had the brilliant idea of setting up a joint savings account, which we used to fund an annual Spa Break! We always had such a lovely, fun time and I always looked forward to spending time with Emma. Ragdale Hall became our Spa venue of choice, (largely because we loved the food there!) and Emma always had a stash of magazines at the ready for our trip. She loved a trashy mag, as well as a bit of trashy TV!
 
Emma was an amazing cook and always seem to rustle up something yummy effortlessly! We were fellow foodies, (with Emma also loving a good kitchen gadget!), and over the years we enjoyed many trips out for coffee, tea and cake, (with Emma being quicker than me to realise how fabulous carrot cake is!) She visited me three times in Hong Kong and food was always an important part of our trip - we always ate as much Vietnamese food and frozen yoghurt as possible when she came to visit! The jet lag is a killer going east and Emma was a light sleeper, so I don’t think she ever got much rest on her trips to see me, poor girl! We’d always try and squeeze in a trip to a market for some fake goods (!), and on every trip Emma would buy Shu Umera eyelash curlers, (one of the few things cheaper in HK than the UK!)!! But wherever we were, we always had a lovely time together and never ran short of conversation.
 
Emma was a clever lady and worked hard at everything she did. Getting her post grad was a real slog for her, but she did it, and I was very proud of her.
 
Emma was a terrific mum and friend, and I already miss her very very much. I’m so very sad I will never hear her voice or see her again, but I feel blessed that we were friends for so long and had so much history together. She became more like a sister to me over the years, and it’s clear from the stories and thoughts on this site just how many people’s lives she brought joy and happiness to.
 
RIP, my beautiful friend.