I’ve had a real shock this weekend; a best friend of our family, Terry Howard, died at 70. Anyone that saw me on the Singing Festival scene will know of Gill and Terry, who came to watch competitions and winners’ concerts, shows and every school play. He saw most opening nights of my performances, travelling all over the UK to Waterperry, Glasgow and Llangollen to cheer me on.
Terry was born in Salford and loved football – especially Manchester United Football Club; my family support the blue side of Manchester, so we did not always meet eye to eye on derby days. When he was a youngster, he was able to get into The Hallé and watch the orchestra for free and liked all sorts of music. When we were trying to put the wedding together on a tight budget, Terry and Gill were the first to offer to help make the buttonholes and decorative lightboxes we used in the aisle and on the tables. He helped my Mum make a wooden stand for the cake hoop she created and helped build our wedding arch. Then, on the big day, when a team assembled to dress the wedding venue, he worked tirelessly with a smile until it every last detail met my Mum’s inspections.
A finer family friend we could not have wished. A few moments in pictures in happy remembrance:
