We hope that the memorial service/ceremony/funeral, whatever you would like to call it, will be memorable and consoling for those who come, and allow us to give Andy a good send-off. It will be led by Andy's good friend Karunika Mason, an ordained member of the Western Buddhist Order. Although the ceremony will be somewhat Buddhist in flavour, we have thought through it carefully so that it hopefully meets a need whatever your faith or none. For Christians and those of other religions, be assured that Buddhism is concerned with nurturing the good qualities within us, and that any Buddhist statuary etc is to evoke these qualities, and does not represent idols or gods to be worshipped. Please take from the ceremony what helps you, and leave what doesn't. There will be some guided meditation at the beginning, and a mantra will be sung at the end. A lot of the ceremony will be given over to sharing our memories of Andy and calling to mind his good qualities. That's where you come in... Maybe some of you would like to think in advance of a few words you would like to say. If you feel overwhelmed at saying something to the group, you could write it down and Karunika or someone else will read it aloud for you. Just get in touch with me. But please do not avoid speaking for fear of getting upset. We have shed a lot of tears over the last couple of weeks, and no-one will mind if you have to pause. There will also be time for you to say things on the day without having arranged it before.