Tribute to my dear mum, Prue

1st September 2023

I’m desperately sad to say that my beloved and inspiring mum, Prue, died unexpectedly this week after a brief battle with a very rare autoimmune disease.

She taught me to make jewellery to occupy me on a rainy weekend when I was about 7 and took me to shows from when I was 6 weeks old. We enjoyed many years of making together; a bond which took us from a childhood hobby into shared adult creativity.

Her mum was a maker and Prue often said how inspiring this was. She started making jewellery with my dad on their many adventures in the 70s and 80s. However she was the one to continue and deepen her knowledge, almost entirely self taught. Though it would have made financial sense sometimes, Prue always said that she couldn’t face casting anything because it would drive her crazy to ‘go into production’. She made every piece individually, with its own unique character and moments of enjoyment.

Her workshop was her queendom, a place outside the world, where we came to work out life’s problems away from everything, where she played music properly loud and bopped along, a tiny cavern of tools and metals, peppered with primary school photos of me still where they were pinned on the notice board in the 90s. Her chair, so completely her place, sits overlooking the Somerset hills and the natural shapes she grew up with and was inspired by.

She was immensely proud to exhibit in the excellent shows she did and to help run the Somerset Craft Guild for many years. She found real community amongst her fellow exhibitors and so many long standing customers. We talked about this so much and with such animation in what turned out to be her final days. I may one day exhibit her work again, but not yet; we are leaving stock in the galleries.

We will have a public memorial in her home village soon and will post the details here. Any of your memories of Prue would be lovely.

With a cheeky but sincere exiting smile from Prue and heartfelt thanks from me.

Rachel

25th October 2023 update: we had a beautiful memorial on 18th September, thank you to everyone who joined us in person and online, for the many cards and moments of kindness. Any memories of Prue are still always welcome. Thank you.