In Memorium: Nan

You know, that is strange, that …

Strange …

And sad, as well …

You see, I’ve just had some rather sad news.

Do you ever remember me telling you about a little pub called The Sir Charles Napier?

I don’t know if you will or you won’t, frankly.

But just to fill you in … ?

The Napier was a tiny little community pub at the unfashionable end of Brentwood High Street.

And run, up until the day it was shut down and demolished, by the woman officially remembered in her obituary in this weeks Brentwood Gazette as Elvina Leber.

But I think that I and many others only ever knew as Nan: that’s her in the top photo.

Well …

I’ve got to admit, I found out today — on the day of her funeral — that she’d died.

Which will probably tell you several things.

For a start … ?

Well, for starters, how well I read that part of the Gazette.

And, secondly, quite how private her and her family are.

I can’t say I blame them: I think this day and age, when everyone and their parrot are on Facebook, Twitter and Google+, it’s sort of refreshing.

»»·««

But … ?

But I’ll be honest, finding out Nan had died, did leave me feeling shocked … !

Although I do know Nan had been seriously ill for some time, she like one or two others I’ve known, had seemed so alive.

Alive …

And bloody stubborn, actually …

You see, Nan had been the person who — outside of Denise, at the Hutton — been the first person to hire me to do a pub quiz.

The first to hire me to do a quiz at a pub I wasn’t working at.

And … ?

Well, I know this, Nan was a damn hard woman to pitch to.

But also a very good landlady.

And very protective: of her pub, customers, workers and those she’d hired as entertainment.

I’m pleased to have been one of the latter.

Oh, she could be difficult: and give you a hard time …

But on the upside … ?

It’s very rare to have found an employer that could be wise AND offer good advice …

AND be fun.

Which Nan definitely was.

RIP Nan.