Neil left us suddenly, unexpectedly and tragically a few weeks ago on Easter Sunday. 

He was a friend, a brother, an uncle, a godfather, my other half.  He was a gent, a listening ear, someone we learned from, someone who inspired, someone who put us at ease and someone who made us laugh. 

I'd like there to be somewhere to go when we want to talk to him... when we just want to feel his presence beside us.  So instead of asking for flowers or for a standard charity donation for his funeral, I'm collecting for a bench at Wakehurst.  

Wakehurst, like Kew, is part of the Royal Botanical Gardens.  It's in Sussex where he was born and bred, and is not far from Ardingly Reservoir where he kayaked as a kid.  Although not a gardener himself, he understood the peace and calmness gardening gave to others... his mum was a keen gardener and he loved watching me pottering about on our patio tending my various plants (even if it did mean moving his beloved BBQs).  

The idea is to raise enough to have a bench in a nice spot.  Where it will be maintained and looked after properly. Where we can go to say hello, whenever we want, whenever we need to.  

For more information on their scheme, see here: https://www.kew.org/join-and-support/in-celebration