Well, I know I shouldn’t really be on here, but we’ve reached a stage in the early morning proceedings where some of us are ready and are trying not to pace around. Somehow there were no shower arguments. Sylvie wants to be the last person to see Rosie, so she and I are off in a minute to do that – along with some flat shoes for Ro.
The hall is decked out, the weather is clearing and I feel as though I am about to take the hardest non-revised exam on a long haul flight I don’t want to be on, whilst feeling extremely home sick. That’s the best I can do, description wise.
It’s very comforting to hear of all of you who are coming and all of you who are going to be with us somehow, even if you are miles away and are doing your own thing at 11.45. Thank you.
So, I’m going off now – funeral directors and milk buying. Will let you know how it all goes.
Calum has just appeared with a hoover and is hoovering what looks like a clean carpet to me. Why?
Jo
The Knock On Effect 
May the sun shine on you all. I will be thinking of you xx
Thinking of you all today , 11,45 xxxxxxxxx
Although I didn’t know Rosie well I will be there today because I feel like the amount of effort Rosie put into helping everyone else, everyone should make an effort for her. My thoughts are with you and your family xxx
Very much in my thoughts today….. xx
Dear Jo,
My thoughts are with you, your family and all of the people who knew rosie and even those like me who never met her but only heard about her
Jilly
My thoughts are with you
x
So sorry I cant be there but good to know that many, many people will be…..to show their support and share the love that Rosie inspired. I will light a candle at 11.45 xxx
My love and thoughts are with you all. I am wearing black, with flashes of colour, for Rosie xx
Thoughts are very much with you today and will have a moments silence at 11.45. However you are all feeling/acting is natural on such a difficultly sad (yet beautiful and celebratory) day and I think you are all extremely brave. The sun has come out for Rosie 🙂 xxx
Thinking of you ALL today xxx
I will be with you all in spirite, would have loved to be there with my ‘Hope’ colleagues but I have a hospital appointment that prevents this.
I have followed Rosie’s blog with great admiration and believe that she has achieved everyting that she wanted and has really helped to highlight the challenges and difficulties of cancer and has flown full throttle at breaking down the stigma of this terrible disease. She has done this with great dignity and courage and I feel humbled by her incredible strenght right to her very sad end.
wishing you all strength,love and peace through your coming days and years.
kind regards
Ros
Thinking of you all x x her spirit will live on in everyone of us x
Thinking of you all on this day. I’m sure you will all do Rosie proud.I had only recently been following Rosie’s blog when I was searching for some comfort from my step father’s diagnosis and passing. She is an amazing young girl and I’m proud to have been a reader of her blog. May the sun shine on you all today. xxxxxx
I’m so sorry I won’t be there today but will be thinking of you all and I’m sure there will be a fabulous turn-out for wonderful Rosie.
11.15 God Bless rosie, now your making all the other angels in heaven smile xx
Thinking of you all today. Rosie would be proud of you all. Hx
My candle is lite, my thoughts are with you xx
Will be raising a glass (ok mug of coffee) to Rosie and all of you and wearing my domino earrings and thinking of you very much today xxx
I couldn’t be there either but I did stop at 11.45 and think of you all, the sun was shining down here and I hope it was with you too. I told my colleague all about your lovely daughter and how brave she was too.
Ali xx
I was there. It was beautiful. The Hall was a mass of colour with all the jamjars of posies and the lollipops. The dress code was inspired. Splashes of colour went from flowers in a child’s hair to shocking pink and black striped tights. Above all, there were TKOE T-shirts.
There was much laughter and many tears.
As I promised you, Mags, you were there as a badge – and you were recognised.
I left before the balloon release and hog roast.
Jo and Chris, you gave her the best send-off possible.
They really did. What a wonderful family and a wonderful afternoon xxx
Thanks Jill for reporting back….I think Rosie would have really approved of all the arrangements. Well done, Team Kilburn!!
A beautiful day for a beautiful girl. Thank you team Kilburn for allowing us to join in with the celebration of such a remarkable girl. Xx
I wore my domino broach on my uniform today and many people asked about it. I was able to explain about Rosie and how fab she was. Stangely nobody noticed my bright socks! I was definately with you all in spirit. It sounds like you gave her a wonderful send off.
Today was wonderful, you all coundn’t of done a better job and im sure no one could of done it better. The ballon idea was wonderful and they stage was amazing! xxx Just to let you know I may be doing some fundraising at tesco for the charity but will let you know later on xxx
What an amazing, beautiful day – for an amazing, beautiful person.
Every thing was ‘just right’ for dear, dear Rosie
x
Beautiful and amazing, just like Rosie. And of course the sun shone, it wouldn’t have dared to do anything else.
I was so glad to be there among the huge crowd of people who came to share such a special occasion. So much thought and effort – don’t know how you managed it, but it was just perfect. If we’re using exam analogy, without doubt the highest A* possible.
Love to you all. x
Thank you Team Kilburn for sharing Rosie memories with us.
Elliot, your reading of your poem was truly excellent. Thanks.
Mic, inspired 🙂
Sorry that i could not be there with you all today.I had my TKOE t-shirt on today and had my photos taken in my T-shirt while i was away, will include them soon. Glad Rosie had a great send off.Zoe my daughter has told me all about it.WOW Team kilburn how well did you do? Rosie would be proud and very happy.Well done once again Jo, Chris,Sylvie,Calum,Toby,Amy and everyone else who helped and attended.
Trudy xxx
Jo, what a wonderful description of your pre day feelings, but i promise you, you looked like the proud mum of a beautiful girl on a very special day.
It was an event to remember for all of us, i was very proud to be there.
But…I have returned with a dilemma. Is it possible to have black plumed horses, a coach, AND an ice cream van?
Love to you all
Claire xxxxxx
oh, and if Calum is ever on the look out for a challenging carpet, I’m your woman..
Hi Jo, i’ve just flown back today after 2 weeks in California with no internet access. We took off at 11.30am on the 12th September and landed today at 12.30pm, so your email sat in my inbox was a sad welcome home, as I left with pictures of new duvet covers in my head and thoughts of the pub lunch. I have followed Rosie’s blog for about a year now and enjoyed her quirky sense of humour and her telling it how it is, a lot of people will draw comfort from her wise words and every time I scrape the ice of the inside of my windscreen I will think of her 🙂 Team Kilburn is here to stay I feel – we’re all behind you. Much love, Jan x
Honoured to be with you all today …. so extra-special …. you did do Rosie proud! I think she would have been ‘wowed’ by the whole ‘event’!
We wouldn’t have missed being with you guys for the World today …. although we didn’t spend that much time with you, talking and ‘sharing’ feelings and fond memories, we look forward to all the times we will have in the future ….
May you all be blessed with a deep and peaceful night’s sleep tonight… and sweet dreams 🙂
Speak to you soon,
love Deb and gang xxxxxxx
Well – Cor blimey! What a turn out!
I think Ro would have been truly touched by the many many people who came to say farewell and celebrate her life. The hall looked incredible, everyone looked brilliant and so many memories were shared.
Guys if you are planning to make copies available of Tony Walsh’s poem I’ll buy a copy!
A very moving day and I can’t stop thinking about all of it.
I’ll buy a copy too. (See Rosie still has that power to get people to hand over their money 🙂 LOL – as Tony said)
As i’m sure so many people have done, I just want to reiterate what has already been said! It was an absolutely beautiful service for a beautiful girl and you should be immensely proud of what you and your amazing family have achieved. I only knew Rosie from school and from her (happy yet sad and funny but frank) blog – but the turnout today was testament to the incredible impact she has managed to have, and will continual to have, on so many lives.
Lots of love from Rosie (& the rest of the Gallands)
A moments reflection at 11:45 was all I could manage today. Glad to hear it all went well and that plenty were able to make it to celebrate a truly remarkable young lady. I hope the ‘inner team’ can take some solace from this in the days ahead. Andy
Sorry Eve & I couldn’t be there, but we shared thoughts of Rosie throughout the day. It seems strange to feel so strongly for people I’ve never met, but you sound like the very best kind of family and I wish you every joy.
Dear Jo, Chris, Calum, Sylvie and Toby,
What a remarkable day. Somehow you managed to make Rosie’s presence so strong through the comments and memories of those closest to her. I feel so enriched by being there. Your family is an inspiration. Love to you all. xx
What an amazingly beautiful day for such a wonderful girl. Everything was perfect, the jamjars full of handpicked flowers, the sight of all those balloons taking to the sky with our own private words for Rosie, the music, the words and that outstanding poem (I too want to buy a copy)! A truely memorable day for a girl that will stay with us FOREVER! Jo, Chris, Sylvie and Cal you really did give her a day of days.
Thank you all for sharing your farewell with us. Everything seemed so “right” and fitting. Funeral etiquette? Who cared? Since the time I lost my dad when I was 22, I have always felt that funerals are most of all for the living, and I hope that yesterday gave you just a few moments of joy even amid the sadness. Joy in particular that Rosie touched so many lives, and really deserved that word “inspirational”.
From now on is a difficult time, because you will have been busy organising, and you won’t have that focus. But it was clear yesterday where Rosie got her strength from, and after yesterday, you will know (if ever you doubted it) that many, many people will be holding you all in their thoughts.
Love
Jonquil
P.S., if you want to plant the acorns and conkers, maybe they will grow. I will gather some more and plant them here at home too.
Well done to everyone who was there yesterday and thank you so much for making me so very welcome. It was a privilege to be involved in such a beautiful send off for such a remarkable young woman. I’ve had tears in my eyes this morning reading emails and blog comments.
I’m so pleased if people felt that my poem struck the right note. As Jo says in the blog, we’re just figuring out how best to put it “out there” in the hope of raising some further funds for TKOE. Thanks again to Jo, Chris and everyone and very well done! I’m sure that we did Rosie proud! Tx