The second of Saint Michael’s special Christmas remembrance events takes place this Sunday in the grounds of the charity’s Hornbeam Park-based Hospice.
- The community are warmly invited to be part of this special event, which takes place at Crimple House, Hornbeam Park Avenue, Harrogate at 4pm on Sunday 11 December 2016.
Hundreds come together each year to remember and celebrate the lives of loved ones as part of Saint Michael’s Light up a Life, hanging a star on the Christmas tree and seeing the lights illuminated in tribute.
Margaret Booker, 89, from Harrogate, has made a Light up a Life dedication every year for six years to remember her husband Ken.
For Margaret, the Crimple House event is particularly special, as the location is steeped in history for her and her family. She said: My father was in the Home Guard in Crimple Valley, and when the now-Hospice building was home to ICI, my husband Ken worked there as a joiner, and I as a waitress – however we didn’t meet until many years later.
Ken and I met in 1960 at a local pub in Markington – he asked if he could buy me a drink – and I remember he said to one of his friends: ‘This is the woman I’m going to marry!’
Six years later, Margaret and Ken tied the knot at St Joseph’s Church in Bishop Thornton, enjoying 44 years of marriage before Ken sadly died at Saint Michael’s Hospice in 2010.
Margaret said: The staff were so kind and caring, both to Ken and to me. Once they saw how tired I was, and they sat me down and brought me a cup of tea and a scone, and made sure I got some rest. I’ll never forget that.
Saint Michael’s is a place that is so uplifting. Of course there is sadness too, but everyone there makes the atmosphere so positive. Light up a Life is the same – everyone comes together to think about happy memories.
There’s often a tear, but I always come away from the event with a lot of happy feelings.
This year, as well as hanging a memory star on the Saint Michael’s Christmas tree, two special stars will be winging their way across the globe to Australia, where Margaret’s son-in-law, grandchildren and great-grandchildren will hang them in tribute to Margaret’s late daughter, Valerie.
All donations made as part of Light up a Life help the charity to support more local families living with terminal illness this Christmas.
There is still time to make a dedication, either online at www.saintmichaelshospice or at the event.
