Remembering Andi

 

Our friend in poetry, Andi Langford-Woods died in August. To be more precise, on August 12th, my grandmother's death day, and yes, Hilda would have had the kettle on ready for Andi when she arrived. 

I've attended several celebrations of Andi since then, the first being at Silver Street Poetry and Open Mic at the end of August, where several of us read poems in her honour. I chose 'Selkie' from 'Wain', Rachel Plummer's brilliant, LGBT-themed retellings of Scottish folk tales. 

Here's Jeremy Toombs, reading his poem 'Saint of Wandering Poets, Singers, Musicians and Other Vagabonds', which he also read at Andi's funeral on Michaelmas Day (which happens to be my mother's death day).  

Below are my impressions of the funeral, which I wrote down to read at Andi's memorial, three weeks later.

The memorial, at the Greenbank in Easton, was a night full of love, startling synchronicity, and Tunnock's tea cakes. 

Andi's backgammon board

Hazel

Tom

Julian, and memories of Acoustic Night Bristol

Dom and Seb

Jane

David on his Jew's Harp

Person whose name escapes me but who read one of my favourite poems, 'Jenny Kiss'd Me' by Leigh Hunt

Ian

I'll never forget how snugly I fitted under Andi's arm when I first stuck my head above the poetry parapet in Bristol, and how funny and fearless she was. It's impossible to accept she isn't still in her Dove Street eyrie, high above the city, so I'm not going to; she is there. She'll always be there.