A few memories of Jan.
I met Jan on my first day at Southlands College, Roehampton uni in September 1985. We had been allocated rooms next door to each other in Roberts House. My roommate Alison was great fun, but Jan’s was intimidated by Jan’s goth look and swiftly switched rooms. If she had stayed, she would have realised that Jan was a kind good natured friend to everybody she met.
I have many many happy memories of time spent with Jan from our college days: discos, corridor parties, playing pool late at night, house parties, night clubs, gigs and balls and as we became older and slightly more sensible and our friends dispersed across the country and around the world, we visited together, attending birthdays, weddings and meeting babies. I moved ‘up North’ in 2000 and Jan came with her humour and smiles several times over the years. I will miss her visits.
Jan was thoughtful and generous. I remember, when she got her first pay as a primary teacher in London, she took some of us out to a restaurant in Streatham, and she was good at remembering birthdays.
Jan loved her brothers, nieces and nephews, she used to talk about them with such fondness and concern that I felt like I knew them.
Jan was a good friend. She had compassion and understanding and gave great advice. As we all meet life’s challenges, we should remember Jan and think, “What would Jan say?”
Rachel
17th January 2021
