Space Mice for Tam
“Especially at Christmas I remember my best school friend Tammy, who left this earth in 2022, too soon at just 56.
I met Tammy at age 11, so we enjoyed 45 years of friendship, totally understanding each other and knowing how each other would think.
Tam’s parents took her out of boarding school at 11 and let her loose in the local comprehensive school I attended. We soon hooked up due to a mutual love of music, fashion, art, design and photography. Tam was my partner in crime through all the stuff we got up to at school. We even went off to college together at the age of 17, attending the same arts course at Leeds Poly, lodging in digs together for the most wonderful, happy two years ever.
The next 30 years saw many ups and downs as life ticked along for us both in different parts of the country, but our friendship stood the test of time. Tam was a true one-off: creative, fun and thoughtful. She could be a bit of a rascal but was generous to the last, even during tough financial times.
She enjoyed nothing better than showering those dear to her with beautiful, thoughtful gifts during the festive season. It was always plain to see that she got as much pleasure in sourcing the gifts and wrapping them in such a sophisticated manner that you were reluctant to spoil the package by opening it. It all gave her such joy.
The latter years of Tam’s life were dogged with health issues and some mental demons, both of which prevented her from leaving the house. This didn’t stop her surfing the net to keep finding the best gifts and wrapping paper you could imagine.
Every year she would buy me a few new trimmings for my tree, often handmade from other craft folk. She was always keen to support other makers and small businesses, as she was a fiercely independent woman. I treasure these exquisite little things, and now Tam is no longer in this world they mean even more to me as I carefully unwrap them from the tissue paper every year and bring Tam’s spirit into the house.
I’m not a religious person, so Christmas is generally little more than eating different food. I do however feel a spirituality around the Winter Solstice; the thinning of the veil, seeing into other worlds and remembering those I’ve lost. They’re out there in otherworldly places, and yet still all around me. Every year I celebrate and embrace the return of the light and all the hope and optimism that the New Year may bring.
I suppose the most treasured festive decorations are the two space mice, the last ones Tam bought me before she died. It’s quite spooky: she was very into sci-fi, and I do like to think of her flying high up in the universe as a space mouse.
I only discovered Penfriend in the last two or three years, so Laura’s music was not something I’d managed to share with Tam. She would’ve loved it I’m sure. She would have thought the artwork was awesome, and the spirit of knuckling down and creating the whole package yourself was something my pal would have been so impressed with.”
Sally Roydhouse
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