A tribute to Henny Garbutt

A lovely lady, who I have known for many years passed away a few months ago .Henriette Imdahl came from Germany and married a local lad Paul Garbutt, known to many as Pip and then became as Henny Garbutt Henny and Paul had a fantastic business which Paul still runs today, as it has for many years just over the bridge in Helmsley just passed the butchers.- Bridge Street Framers. Pip played in a band and when Henny arrived she saw the potential and quickly got them an agent who got the group to play at larger events and they became more famous and so the story goes. When lockdown came Pip would play outside his house ever week and as social media played its part, we all got to hear his music. All the great records we could all sing along to raising our spirits - Maggie May, Brown Eyed Girl and many more. Henny bravely fought cancer and now Paul and the family - Marty and Nina, who are roughly the same age as our Nicholas, and Kate the youngest daughter who is Head of Philanthropy at Edinburgh International Festival bravely carry on. And so they did on this evening. Kate,not only stunning but has a cracking voice singing along with her Dad. Marty - all you can says he is a chip off the old block ,although I had seen him since he left school.The same jet black hair and chisel look that Pip had in his younger days Nina - well Henny lives on here - a stunning girl with her mothers features. I was very touched when Paul invited me to an event they had organised, in Helmsley Arts Centre. There were photos of Henny all around. As the years photos showed the family growing up. What struck me was that Henny didnt ever look much older in any of them . Henny had such a love for life and energy second to non. Songs were sung in her memory and songs that had been written by Pip, we were prividged to hear too. Relations and old friends mixed along with those who had cared for Henny in more recent times. The family had really thought of the people who had touched their lives. It was lovely to see Gay, Pip's older sister. She will be 10 years older than me and I always admired her - she was like a Mary Quant figure to me back then in the 1960s and someone I was quite in awe of as she was "cool". She probably smoked Sobranies too -she was that kind of girl.A trend setter with her long blonde hair, mini skirt and a large bag over her shoulder - she was of the "Marianne Faithful/JaneAsher" of our world It was lovely to catch up with her ,still as gracious and elegant as ever. A "girl" in her mid 70s now she can still stand out in a crowd. I had offered to help with the food but there was no need everything had been sorted. And it was all very scrumptious too. The drink flowed and you could see how Henny's organisation skills have been taken on by the family. Last but not least a mention for Paul and Henny's grandson who will only be around 8 years of age. He sang his heart out. Words that could have made many shed a tear.... This little lad stood up microphone in his hand word /pitch perfect to an audience of around 100 people .Granddad strumming behind him on his guitar giving him quiet reassurance "to carry on -you are doing well" . Need I say it, Henny was, and on that night would have been so proud of her family. Great respect.

A week in my life

It is surprising how fast a week goes. Things come up that you dont imagine. Not like when we were at school 50 years ago now since I left and that is one thing that is so different .We used to know we did French every day at some point and had double lessons in PE and cooking -they were the best bits of school apart from holidays and play time which were called breaks when we got to big school . I was busy putting posts up with clothes and old pillowcases on to scare the crows off the corn that was coming out this week. Worzel Gummidge and Aunt Sally would have been horrified. Rena is helping with the paintingand is battling through getting windows painted. We have been moving things about and clearing space to put tomoto plants in the old greenhouse at the farm.With the rain we have had and that the rhubarb is looking very healthy and in fact I must say a good looking crop . I have joined Helmsley Gardening Club but nothing was as good as been able to ask my Dad what to grow and how to grow it but now I cant so I have to look to take different measures . The heated open air swimming pool at Helmsley opens this weekend but think I will wait a week or two to let it warm up .Although saying that I was repotting some plants outside and there was some water stood in pots in the sun and it was surprising how warm it was. It was Rena's birthday the other day so we had a ride up over the Moors - they dont have anything like that in Japan and she was really amazed and took lots of photos I will take her again when the heather is out as even after all these years we marvel at the purple carpet that stretch for miles. Excited to hear Adam Jackson is on the move again and thsi time to the Rattle Owl on Micklegate in York so this is my place to go for my birthday .Nearer to home Tommy Banks has taken over the Abbey Inn at Byland Abbey and we have been watching workmen busily working away getting it ready for opening very shortly. It will be a success I am sure as those Banks brothers have vision and we wish them well as it is good for the whole area. The competition at the last WI meeting was something old and these were the entries which took my eye