St Stephen’s Church in Ambridge will be
open 24 hours a day this week for people who wish to pray or to share memories of
Nic Grundy, 37, who died suddenly of sepsis last Friday.
To reflect the depth of feeling in the
village, where Mrs Grundy was (mostly) a much-loved figure, we are giving over
our front page to a guest tribute from the Revd Alan Franks.
Our exclusive photos of Jennifer Aldridge
and Pat Archer in the sauna at Grey Gables, which we felt compelled to publish
after the Borchester Echo’s so-called
‘Champagne Gate’ scoop, have been held over to next week.
The Revd Alan Franks writes: ‘Nic touched all our lives’
On my desk as I write I have a Lenten
candle, decorated in purple ribbons by Nic Grundy. For those who don’t attend
church as often as I’d like (you know who you are – sorry, only joking!) the
Lenten candle ritual is like the Advent crown, only in reverse. Instead of
lighting a candle each Sunday as Christmas approaches, you start by lighting
all seven candles and extinguish one each week as Good Friday draws near.
When Nic left us last Friday, five candles
were still lit. But with her sudden passing, it is as if a light that shone on us
all has been snuffed out, leaving us in shadow.
Who does not have a fond memory of Nic? For
myself, I owe her a huge debt of gratitude for her work with the Sunday schools
in my four parishes. Children loved her, and I can’t think how we’ll manage
without her. (In fact, if you are interested in helping out, do please drop me a
line at the vicarage ASAP).
Last Christmas, Nic organised the Nativity
play at St Stephen’s and we joked that she had the talent to direct the
Ambridge pantomime. But with typical modesty, Nic said I was much better at it
(she was right, as usual). Nic was a natural people person, and I have no doubt
that, in time, she would have been a valued volunteer working with the homeless at The
Elms, subject to the usual DBS checks of course.
Nic was one of those people who just gets
on with things. She could be so quiet, you’d almost forget she was there. Then
suddenly she would pop up, full of spirit – and that was certainly true in the
past few months. Readers may have seen Nic serving drinks in The Bull; reassuring
a nervous Toby Fairbrother about fatherhood; celebrating Will’s birthday at
Acapulco Rocks in Felpersham (how Nic loved a burrito!) or assisting Fallon
Rogers at the Darrington Vintage Fair.
But wherever Nic was, you knew she was busy
being a wonderful mum to Jake, Mia and little Poppy, a loving stepmum to George
and a loyal and devoted wife to William. My thoughts and prayers are with them
all, and the whole Grundy family.
When someone passes away so quickly, there
is always the possibility of regrets, of unfinished business, of things that
were said, or not said.
There may be people reading this who wish
they hadn’t sacked Nic from her job at The Bull, or told her off for serving a
soft drink to a drunk customer, or provoked her to a stand-up row over pork
scratchings, or accused her of leaking the secrets of the Mr & Mrs Quiz to the
tea room, or refused to let Will have the day off so he and Nic could enjoy a
family day out.
We may regret now that we didn’t take time
to tell Nic we loved her (not in any inappropriate way, of course) and that we
were too busy to take her dancing (again, not me, of course).
And it may be that for some, the manner of
Nic’s death stirs up painful memories. It is surely a cruel coincidence that
her infected cut was caused by handling junk that had been damaged in the flood
– a disaster that is still spreading misery and heartbreak through Ambridge,
and has claimed another victim.
But now, as then, we will come together in
grief, and in strength, for Nic’s family and for our wider community.
Rest assured, St Stephen’s is here for
anyone who wishes to voice difficult feelings and find a listening, non-judgmental
ear. Appointments are available every second Wednesday, between the ‘Ham and
Hymns for Him’ men’s brunch and Tea and Taizé at The Laurels.
Other news in brief
• Brian Aldridge, beleaguered chairman of
Borchester Land, survived an attempt to oust him at an emergency board meeting
this week after securing the support of Justin Elliott. Mr Aldridge later
denied being drunk at a meeting with potential clients at Grey Gables. ‘You
mustn’t believe what my mother-in-law Peggy says,’ said Mr Aldridge. ‘She’s just
cross because I said I’d prefer it if she kept her pussy in a separate room.’
• Bridge Farm is holding a competition to
name two new goats that Pat Archer is buying to provide milk for the company’s
kefir drinks. ‘We’d like their names to
reflect health and an aspirational lifestyle,’ said Susan Carter, who
has been appointed manager of the new product range. ‘I like Gwynnie and Goop,
but apparently that might lead to copyright problems.’ First prize in the
competition is a wellbeing workshop on gut health at Bridge Farm plus the
opportunity to help Helen Archer salt the whey. (What that? Ed).
• Concern has been expressed at Borchester District Council level
about Neil Carter’s appointment as manager of the new Berrow Farm pig unit. ‘We
know Neil is a man of integrity, but he risks being compromised as chair of
Ambridge Parish Council if he is in the pay of Justin Elliott,’ said an
officer. ‘We are worried that this conflict of interest won’t pass the sniff
test.’
