Book of Remembrance
In Memory of Ann Richardson 1955 - 2006
For me there were three subjects Annie excelled in: people, art and music.
Annie was definitely a people person. She loved meeting people and always relished time spent with friends and later her girls. Because she was such a great talker and listener she found it easy to connect with people. Patience and compassion were qualities that defined Annie. She was definitely a friend in need and would sit up all through the night with me helping me to understand my relationships with people. I had an unconventional and difficult childhood and my family dynamics are anything buy straight forward. Annie really helped me work through the difficulties of my past and helped me become the confident 'well balanced' person I am today.
My experience in this regard is by no means an isolated incident. I saw Annie helping people all the time, even when it seemed impossible. It was like having a therapist on call 24/7. It is not to say that she did not have her share of difficulties past and present. She so desperately wanted a partner and mostly seemed to have terrible luck with men (just like my own mother which we often discussed). It wasn't that she was a bad judge of character, she just always refused to be judgemental and endeavoured to help and understand people and accepted people in all their weirdness.
If you ever had the pleasure to visit an art gallery with Annie you would know what a fantastic experience that was. Annie had been a painter and studied History of Art. Her knowledge and passion for art was awesome. She could not only tell you what you were looking at, but also had vast and interesting knowledge of the artist, how they worked and the context of the piece. I particularly remember being mesmerised by her telling me about pigments and the production of oil paint from the 15th century onwards in a wonderful story full of anecdotes and bits of European history. She had an amazing intellect and a wonderful way of communicating. She got me so hooked I still read books on History of Art and always say that if I win the Lottery I will go back to university to study it. There was a time I tried to get her to paint again, but the arrival of baby Rosalie changed her priorities forever.
Annie, Gabriel, Francois, John and Brid (taken at our flat in Euston in June 2000)
Music was another big love for Annie. She had grown up with a lot of Jazz and classical music at home (both her mother and brother, Allen, played music). Annie, however, had an almost universal love of music. She could appreciate anything. She also loved to dance and did so with gay abandon in that unusual way that she did. As if she was expressing herself through the medium of dance. I remember a time at a Jazz In The Park festival a friend asked me if Annie was OK. I replied that she was not having a fit, she was just getting into the music.
Despite all the challenges Annie had to face in her life she had a lust for life and a love for people. I regret not having seen much of her in the last two years, but she was and is often remembered with great love and affection.
