Anne Birt (28 Jan 1964 - 1 Sep 2015)

Remembering Anne with great fondness on this unhappy anniversary (1 September 2016) and sending Mike, Chris and Alex my very best wishes.

Anne and I lived next door to each other and were childhood best friends; we were always in and out of each other’s houses or out playing in nearby parks or fields with siblings and other friends. It was a very happy and carefree childhood with lots of freedom to roam; we climbed trees, made camps, had conker fights and created disgusting potions and we also learned to horse ride together.

As we grew up, we used to enjoy socialising with family and friends, going to Henley Regatta (indulging in a few Pimms), going to the pub or New Year’s Eve parties at somebody’s house. Anne came on holiday with my family a few times; down to Beaminster in Dorset and to Shingle Street on the Suffolk coast. We also went on a couple of working holidays with the British Trust of Conservation Volunteers and once stayed in what I can only describe as a glamorous cow shed with extremely basic facilities and one evening we had a custard fight when some one’s cooking skills weren’t quite up to the job (not ours I hasten to add).

Anne did her PhD with my father’s team at Harwell and told me that whenever there was a problem the team would head down the pub to discuss it and that they never failed to come up with a solution. She described my father as an inspiring man and I’m sure that Anne herself has had plenty of students who would describe her in the same way.

Anne always loved birdwatching and although it wasn’t my hobby I was happy to hear about her interest. She told me not long before she died that she had really wanted to visit Costa Rica to see hummingbirds and I said I’d love to go with her, sadly it was not to be.

Ours was a very easy friendship; we were always part of each other’s lives and, whilst geography, marriage and kids sometimes meant we couldn’t catch up as regularly as we’d have liked, when we did we just carried on where we had left off.

In the last few years, Anne and I used to love going to Wisley together and had many happy times, walking round and enjoying the gardens or seeing the butterflies in The Glass House whilst chatting non-stop about anything and everything from family, friends, politics, religion and putting the world to rights. We enjoyed outings with the kids from go-karting to swinging through the trees at Go Ape in Alice Holt Forest and visiting the Harry Potter film studios.

For my 50th birthday last year, Anne took me back to our home town; we went back to where we used to live, go to school, horse ride and the church where we went to Sunday school, we even had a coffee in the department store where we used to see Father Christmas (which hadn’t actually changed that much). We also visited Saint Agatha’s Church in Brightwell-cum-Sotwell where Anne and Mike got married and there was a beautiful Remembrance Day exhibition of the local young men who had lost their lives fighting for their country in World War 1 and 2. We also went to Dorchester-on-Thames and had a lovely walk followed by tea and cakes. We promised each other that we would go back and see bits we hadn’t had time to do….

Anne was an integral part of the fabric of my childhood and I feel blessed that she was a lovely and very dear friend of mine. I shall miss her enormously.

I have very fond memories of Anne and our time together at Birmingham University. We both lived in Wyddrington Hall in our first year and shared a flat in our second and third years. Anne was the person I would always consult about physics problems - usually over a cup of tea in her room. I remember she had quite a distinctive style then, with her long hair and long flowery Laura Ashley skirts - and always a cheery smile on her face. At the start of our second year Anne had her hair permed, which was a bit of a shock. When she wrote to me saying that she had lost her hair during her treatment I couldn't help thinking about how she looked then. She had a magnificent head of hair - it was the 1980's, so 'big hair' was 'in'.
In our second year we both joined the karate club (Anne's idea) along with our flatmate Mandy. We went along to the weekly training sessions where were put through our paces by Sid, the instructor. Neither Anne nor I were particularly good at it, but we managed to get our orange and then red belts. At the end of our second year Anne and I both got summer jobs with the UKAEA - Anne at Harwell and me at Culham. One weekend we travelled by train and ferry to Paris to stay with a friend. It was a hot, sunny weekend and we did as much sightseeing as we could before having to travel back in time for work on Monday morning.
In our final year Anne and I were in the same tutor group with Professor Morrison, who encouraged us in our plans for the future. Anne and I decided to do our final year project together, on something called the Mossbauer Effect. I think it is fair to say that it was not the most successful of projects, as we struggled to get any meaningful results. In spite of this we both graduated with good degrees.
University was a great time in my life, and Anne was a big part of that. She was a great friend, warm-hearted and loyal, with a lovely sense of humour. I will always treasure the memories of the three years we spent together.

In memory of dear Anne, such happy memories of when we were growing up together.

In memory of a lovely neighbour, a serene lady and a proud Mum who loved all flora and fauna.

In memory of our vibrant, clever and lovely friend Anne, and the very happy times our families spent together as we were growing up. Anne will always be part of our lives.

Anne was a lovely person and I have life long happy memories of knowing her. My thoughts are with her family .

Anne was a very special person who lived life to the full. The way she embraced life and coped with her illness should be an inspiration to us all. Rest in peace Anne. You will be very much missed.

I shall treasure the memories of our childhood, horse-riding with Anne by the river in Wallingford and walks in the woods, listening for the birds.

Anne was a lovely person to work with. Supportive, positive, intelligent and keen to help. She will be greatly missed by all at the British Institute of NDT and all her colleagues in NDT.

Anne you and your smile will be so missed by us all, you will never be forgotten and will be in our hearts always, sleep well, bless you, from your friends and colleagues at QinetiQ

Walking with Anne was always a pleasure. Her love and knowledge of nature opened my eyes to the birds and plants around us.

Rest in Peace Anne.

With love Yeates Family x