Strictly speaking, this message which I found by the water's edge last weekend, is not a message in a bottle as it was not in a bottle - but as it is a message found floating in the River, I thought I could get away with including it in my blog. When I first spotted this large laminated piece of writing, drifting back and forth with the incoming tide on the foreshore in Greenwich, I thought it was a piece of old newspaper or a discarded sign. On closer examination however, I realised it was a heartfelt letter to a deceased friend. It seemed such a forlorn place to find a letter which was obviously written with a lot of love and feeling, and even though it had clearly been in the water for some time, it was still legible.
Once we had read this letter, we felt quite subdued - although very touched by the tribute. We couldn't help wondering what had happened to Tandyman. I placed the note back in the water which seemed the fitting thing to do, to carry on its journey with the current. When I got home, I did some research and came across this blog entry written by a lady calleld Meixian entitled "Highway Memorial". It answered my question about what happened to Tandyman. Here it is: http://leemeixian.wordpress.com/2014/09/01/highway-memorial/
and so it transpires that the tribute had originally been part of a memorial dedicated to Tandyman (Chris), aged 28, who tragically died there in a cycling accident in August 2014. He obviously touched a lot of peoples' lives and left a big gap for those who he left behind. I have used Meixian's photograph from her blog, of the memorial devoted to him on London bridge. I hope she doesn't mind.
and so it transpires that the tribute had originally been part of a memorial dedicated to Tandyman (Chris), aged 28, who tragically died there in a cycling accident in August 2014. He obviously touched a lot of peoples' lives and left a big gap for those who he left behind. I have used Meixian's photograph from her blog, of the memorial devoted to him on London bridge. I hope she doesn't mind.
What I love about the River Thames, is all the memories and stories swirling beneath the surface. For example, a Victorian heart pendant I found recently in the Thames mud, made me think about the person who once owned it, who gave it to her, what happened to her and how her life was. The fact is, I will never know about the Victorian girl who once wore the heart pendant, and anyone who may have known her is now long gone. With this find carried along on the tide though, the memory is a lot more recent and it is touching to see how loved Tandyman was. I didn't even know him, but he obviously was a bright light to a lot of people, and this story found on our walk by the River touched us. I make reference to the last line of the letter written by Dom " you have lit a fire which we will not let go out. I promise".
Well, the River Thames wont put out the fire either. In this instance, as with all the items we find on the foreshore, it only serves to keep your memory alive.
Well, the River Thames wont put out the fire either. In this instance, as with all the items we find on the foreshore, it only serves to keep your memory alive.
Happy onward journey Tandyman. You wont be forgotten.
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