Danielle Hyman

Writing this is still unbelievable, we, Rosina and Danielle, were Gill’s best and first friends, respectively and I always expected to end our lives together as old ladies reminiscing in Heathlands Old Age Home.

I met Gill when I was 2. We lived on the same road and started together at the Lillian Harris Day Nursery. then moved together to Jewish Primary School and later to Cheadle Hulme School.

We went on holidays together and had a wonderful gap year in Israel.
All our birthday cards, letters, emails were always signed off, from your ‘first friend’ even for our 55th birthday, that status remained cherished.
Gill has been in my life for as long as I have memories. I remember when Stephen was born and how disappointed we were that he was a boy. We had so hoped for a girl, someone to dress in our dolls’ clothes. Or maybe we still did that and that is the problem. I can’t remember. Gill was my memory for our youth. She had a phenomenal memory for
incredibly small details. Who was our geography teacher in 2nd year? classmates names, what we wore to parties? Sometimes too much detail as she would remember facts about various disastrous dates that I would rather forget.

Aunty Elaine and Uncle Malcolm’s home was my 2nd home. How did she stay so slim when there were always copious amounts of food, those fish balls were amazing and the delicious coffee fudge cake which I still bake and serve for my family.

She was ageless, even after the difficult and painful years of Andy’s illness and death, she never looked any older. She was modest and never saw her beauty, but we did. She had a peaceful sanguine aura which radiated from her.

I smile as I think about her constant battle with her hair, trying to contain, tame and style her thick curls.

She was the good girl; I was the rebel. Except for once when her and her friend from school, Imogen went to Manchester City Centre wearing only black bin bags. Aunty Elaine was so angry with her, and she never confessed as to how horribly hot and sweaty this teenage act
of rebellion must have been.

I remember a playdate at Gill’s when I was about 6. I was in a super mean mood and decided that I only wanted to play with Jonny and refused to play with Gill. She sat on the stairs so angry with me but no end of coercing from Aunty Elaine would make me change my mind. Later that evening Aunty Elaine called my mum to tell us Jonny had Chicken Pox. Karma. Gill was super smug when I got it 2 days later.

 

I think that was the only time she had cross words with me. In 53 years we never had an argument. How could you have an argument with Gill. She had strong opinions and principles but empathetic and insightful. She was too kind and forgiving to ever fall out with.
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