Although I\u2019ve enjoyed my time here in Antigua so far, my visit has been tinged with great sadness at the news on Saturday that my beautiful friend Jean Hewitt had died.\u00a0 She joins the lengthening list of phenomenal women that I’ve loved and lost this year.<\/p>\n
How ironic that she should die on a Saturday morning, as Saturday was always \u2018Dancing Day\u2019 for so many, many children, my own daughter included, for so many years.<\/p>\n
And\u00a0 \u2018beautiful\u2019 is a word that applies to Jean like few other people because she was a beautiful person outside and in,<\/p>\n
She was a beauty with panache and glamour; real show biz, always immaculately dressed, with her amazing platinum blonde hair \u2013 not many women over 60 could have got away with that! \u2013 but never \u2018mutton dressed as lamb\u2019, Never!\u00a0 And this spilled over into her work.\u00a0 With her flair and keen stage-eye she put on dance routines that were worthy of the West End.\u00a0 Her shows had casts of hundreds, with dozens of back-stage helpers, too, and she commandeered the whole event like a general leading from the front.\u00a0 Her voice was soft and gentle \u2013 I don\u2019t think I ever heard her raise it, certainly never in class or at a student \u2013 and she had the ability to make you think you\u2019d won a prize even when she wanted you to do something.\u00a0 I remember once hearing my name called at Marshall\u2019s Park during panto along with four or five others.\u00a0 We all rushed forward, because, as I say, we thought we\u2019d won a prize, only to be told some 200 chairs needed moving.\u00a0 Yet we all jumped to and did it, because Jean had asked us to and she\u2019d asked us so nicely we didn\u2019t even think about it!<\/p>\n
When I first went to Jean\u2019s house \u2013 to give her daughter Suzanne a Spanish lesson \u2013 arriving early, I thought I\u2019d got the night wrong and that I\u2019d walked in on a dinner party only to be told that Jean cooked dinner for 9 or 10 people every night!\u00a0 Her house was a refuge for so many people, myself included. \u00a0And it was Jean who was responsible for me teaching drama, trusting me with the drama department of her school when I was only an enthusiastic amateur.\u00a0 Chatting to her over coffee one morning I said I\u2019d loved drama as a young person and would have loved to have been an actress.\u00a0 Within two weeks she rang me to say my class was up and running!\u00a0 But with her support and backing and encouragement, I went on to qualify and we built the drama section of the school up to over 150 students at the height of our success and I have some lovely memories of the students and the productions we did, always rising to the challenge of making them \u2018vicar-proof\u2019. Jean didn\u2019t care that censorship had gone out in 1968, we had to produce \u2018family shows\u2019!.<\/p>\n
But Jean also had an inner-beauty found in few other people.\u00a0 She was non-judgemental, gentle, patient and kind.\u00a0 A devout Christian, she practised her religion in her daily life and always took the Christian, compassionate pathway.\u00a0 She was a true Christian; the most-Christian person I\u2019ve ever known.<\/p>\n
Her professional worth was continually recognised during her lifetime with various awards and her dance troupes appearing in prestigious shows and venues.\u00a0 They were always a credit to her because everyone wanted to do well for Jean and never let her down; she was that kind of person.<\/p>\n
Jean was so many things to so many people.\u00a0 To me she was a shining example of how to be a great teacher, but she was, above all, my friend.\u00a0 For many years the two of us would go out and see a show every July to celebrate her birthday.\u00a0 She even once took my daughter \u2018on holiday\u2019 to Romford while I had a quick week away in Greece.\u00a0 I came back to find that Melanie was now \u2018Miss Boot\u2019!\u00a0 Jean always gave a nickname to everyone.\u00a0 (Meli \u2013 welly \u2013boot!!)<\/p>\n
And now she\u2019s gone, a light has dimmed in all the lives that she touched.\u00a0 Heaven has gained its best dance teacher ever and its loveliest person.\u00a0 Because if ever a person\u2019s place in Heaven was assured it was Jean Hewitt.<\/p>\n
RIP, Lovely Lady.<\/p>\n
Although I\u2019ve enjoyed my time here in Antigua so far, my visit has been tinged with great sadness at the news on Saturday that my beautiful friend Jean Hewitt had died.<\/p>\n
How ironic that she should die on a Saturday morning, as Saturday was always \u2018Dancing Day\u2019 for so many, many children, my own daughter included, for so many years.<\/p>\n
And\u00a0 \u2018beautiful\u2019 is a word that applies to Jean like few other people because she was a beautiful person outside and in,<\/p>\n
She was a beauty with panache and glamour; real show biz, always immaculately dressed, with her amazing platinum blonde hair \u2013 not many women over 60 could have got away with that! \u2013 but never \u2018mutton dressed as lamb\u2019, Never!\u00a0 And this spilled over into her work.\u00a0 With her flair and keen stage-eye she put on dance routines that were worthy of the West End.\u00a0 Her shows had casts of hundreds, with dozens of back-stage helpers, too, and she commandeered the whole event like a general leading from the front.\u00a0 Her voice was soft and gentle \u2013 I don\u2019t think I ever heard her raise it, certainly never in class or at a student \u2013 and she had the ability to make you think you\u2019d won a prize even when she wanted you to do something.\u00a0 I remember once hearing my name called at Marshall\u2019s Park during panto along with four or five others.\u00a0 We all rushed forward, because, as I say, we thought we\u2019d won a prize, only to be told some 200 chairs needed moving.\u00a0 Yet we all jumped to and did it, because Jean had asked us to and she\u2019d asked us so nicely we didn\u2019t even think about it!<\/p>\n
When I first went to Jean\u2019s house \u2013 to give her daughter Suzanne a Spanish lesson \u2013 arriving early, I thought I\u2019d got the night wrong and that I\u2019d walked in on a dinner party only to be told that Jean cooked dinner for 9 or 10 people every night!\u00a0 Her house was a refuge for so many people, myself included. \u00a0And it was Jean who was responsible for me teaching drama, trusting me with the drama department of her school when I was only an enthusiastic amateur.\u00a0 Chatting to her over coffee one morning I said I\u2019d loved drama as a young person and would have loved to have been an actress.\u00a0 Within two weeks she rang me to say my class was up and running!\u00a0 But with her support and backing and encouragement, I went on to qualify and we built the drama section of the school up to over 150 students at the height of our success and I have some lovely memories of the students and the productions we did, always rising to the challenge of making them \u2018vicar-proof\u2019. Jean didn\u2019t care that censorship had gone out in 1968, we had to produce \u2018family shows\u2019!.<\/p>\n
But Jean also had an inner-beauty found in few other people.\u00a0 She was non-judgemental, gentle, patient and kind.\u00a0 A devout Christian, she practised her religion in her daily life and always took the Christian, compassionate pathway.\u00a0 She was a true Christian; the most-Christian person I\u2019ve ever known.<\/p>\n
Her professional worth was continually recognised during her lifetime with various awards and her dance troupes appearing in prestigious shows and venues.\u00a0 They were always a credit to her because everyone wanted to do well for Jean and never let her down; she was that kind of person.<\/p>\n
Jean was so many things to so many people.\u00a0 To me she was a shining example of how to be a great teacher, but she was, above all, my friend.\u00a0 For many years the two of us would go out and see a show every July to celebrate her birthday.\u00a0 She even once took my daughter \u2018on holiday\u2019 to Romford while I had a quick week away in Greece.\u00a0“We all need a little break, dear,” she said. \u00a0I came back to find that Melanie was now \u2018Miss Boot\u2019!\u00a0 Jean always gave a nickname to everyone.\u00a0 (Meli \u2013 welly \u2013boot!!)\u00a0 And the last time I saw Jean, as frail as she was, she asked after Miss Boot.<\/p>\n
And now she\u2019s gone, a light has dimmed in all the lives that she touched.\u00a0 Heaven has gained its best dance teacher ever and its loveliest person.\u00a0 Because if ever a person\u2019s place in Heaven was assured it was Jean Hewitt’s.<\/p>\n
RIP, Lovely Lady.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Although I\u2019ve enjoyed my time here in Antigua so far, my visit has been tinged with great sadness at the news on Saturday that my beautiful friend Jean Hewitt had died.\u00a0 She joins the lengthening list of phenomenal women that … Continue reading