Lives Remembered - Diane Hurst
Di's funeral is on Friday 25th November at Valley Funeral Service, Valley Road. HX7 7BZ, starting at 12.15. A Green Burial will follow.
Wednesday, 16 November 2016
It is to our great regret that we are not able to attend this celebration of Diane's life, due to the fact that we were already booked on our flight to Australia on 20th November.
Norman and Di met when Norman was in the Army. They began married life in Aden. And when Norman left the Army, they came to Hebden Bridge, to live initially, for some years, in Cragg Vale.
Norman died last year, and now with the passing of Di we have lost two people who have been our friends since December 1970.
It is impossible to begin this tribute to Di without mentioning Norman as well, for Norman and Di were the consummate couple; if you thought or spoke of one, you thought and spoke of both.
In the 46 years since we first met, Norman and Di have been an important part of our lives. As well as spending countless convivial days and evenings together, we have travelled with them, and they visited us during our time in Australia.
We first met when we moved to Old Town shortly before Christmas 1970. A group of people who were friends with each other, but until then unknown to us, got in touch to welcome us to Hebden Bridge. We had a small party just before Christmas that year, and Norman and Di were amongst that group who came. We quickly became firm friends.
Norman and Di lived in Cragg Vale at that time, and later made their home in Blackshaw Head, where they renovated a derelict farmhouse. Their homes in Cragg Vale and Blackshaw were a centre of much of the area's social life for many years - a scene of great parties.
Certain memories stand out. In 1975, we went with Norman and Di to Paris; it was on the way home that we heard that the great political cause of those days had reached its final climax with the end of the Vietnam War, which we had all opposed. We waited until we got home to celebrate …
In the 1980s, we went to Italy with them to visit their good friend Clara, a lady who we know holds great affection for them. Towards the end of the 80s, we toured Scotland with them, and much enjoyed Scottish culture - especially visiting whisky distilleries.
We went to live in Australia in 1989 and Norman and Di came to stay with us in 1998. We managed to do some quite extensive travelling together in Western Australia, specifically in the South of the State.
This tribute began by mentioning the strength of Norman and Di as a couple, but Di was, of course, also very much a person in her own right.
She began life with a disability, which she largely overcame. In adulthood, her interests were wide-ranging, and deep. She was interested in history, particularly Victorian English times and Russian history: She was well-read in Russian classical literature, including Tolstoy. She very much appreciated Art, especially painting, and was a very able water-colourist. She was also capable of quite fine needlework, no mean feat given her poor eyesight. And her perhaps surprising musical tastes included Leonard Cohen, Van Morrison and Johnny Winter!
Sadly, Norman and Di were both diagnosed with cancer within a short time of each other. When Norman passed last year, we believe Di lost much of her reason to continue without him, and now she is gone a little more than a year later. She was a gentle, kind and caring person and will be missed by many. We will be thinking of her today and will raise a glass to her memory.
R.I.P. Diane. With much love and fond memories, Jean & Mick.