Save the Date! An Emma Ceilidh in London on 15th June

-


~ Save the date ~

An Emma-celebration in London on the evening of June 15th 2023! 


Dear Emma’s loved ones,


We hope that this message finds you as well as you can be this spring.


We’re writing to let you know that we will be celebrating Emma on her birthday — June 15th — in London, and that we would love it if you could join us. 


Emma loved festivities and her birthday was no exception. Despite the pain of her loss, we hope that this day can be a moment of joy in celebration of everything that she gave us. We understand that for many it will be their first time in a large gathering of Emma’s loved ones. 


During the evening there will be the option to take part in Ceilidh dancing. There are no prerequisites for this: a facilitator will guide us through some simple dance-figures together. Ceilidh (pronounced kay-lee) is a traditional Scottish and Irish social dance; it is a way of gathering and being together. As you may already know, Emma went to ceilidhs a lot over the past year and would often speak about how joyful the experience was for her. 


There will also be time and space for moments of reflection. As we get closer to the day, we will email to ask if you would have any requests, or if you wish to speak or perform — be it a spoken piece, song, poem, memory or gratitude…  


To make this event possible, we are asking for donations from those who plan to attend. We will be putting this money towards venue-hire, music, food and drink. Please pay what you can! The suggested amount is around £5. You can find the link to our donation pot here: https://app.collectionpot.com/pot/3094498/ 


We are also still looking for a venue! If you have any leads on community spaces which have enough room both for dancing and for a seated area, please let us know!

You can contact Alexia via the contact form.


We really hope that you can make it! If you do plan on coming, we would be very grateful if you could fill out the form linked below as soon as possible. This will really help us in planning for the day.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfMqLpvSj4YEqm-MK9xXU4v3x15GUD07PsqW6wxdggMm-7AyQ/viewform?usp=sf_link 


If you won’t be able to come, please do reach out, and we can discuss further London-based gatherings that could take place in coming months. We also hope you may find your own ways to celebrate her memory and your relationship to her on the day.


This is an open event so please remind anyone who you think would like to attend to visit this document, fill out the form, and contribute if they can. 


Sending love & thinking of our Emma always,

Alexia, Ruby, Pihla and Lavinia

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Association EBN Launches 2nd Annual Architecture and Arts Grant for Young Adults

-
Image
Applications for the €5,000 prize due Feb. 28, 2026 (Voir la version française ci-dessous.) PARIS. [5] December 2025 – Association EBN today is launching 2 nd annual €5,000 Architecture and Arts grant for young adults in the memory of Emma Burke Newman.  The grant supports the realization of a community-shaping artistic, educational, or cross-cultural project by a young adult (17-35) residing in the EEA, the U.K., or U.S. in the fields of art, architecture, or place-making—including ones that address cycling or road safety—and reflecting the values of Emma Burke Newman. “The grant is dedicated to the memory of Emma, to honor her compassion, community, and creativity as well as her zest for life and learning,” said association President Rose Marie Burke and the young woman’s mother. Tragically, Emma was killed by a truck driver while she was cycling to university on Jan. 27, 2023, in Glasgow. “New for 2026, the jury decided to place more of an emphasize on architecture, ...
Read more

Following in Emma’s tracks: A trip to Tomsleibhe Bothy

-
Image
Emma's bike on Mull September 2022 This was a pilgrimage of sorts, following in our daughter’s tracks, to the Isle of Mull, one of Scotland's largest islands. It would be three years nearly to the day of Emma's stay on Sept. 24-25, 2022.    John and I wanted to do it exactly how Emma did, taking our cycles on the train to Oban from Glasgow, then the ferry to the island, and an overnight at the bothy—a very basic and free hut for travelers.     Reality set in. The logistics didn’t work of renting bicycles in Glasgow. Instead, we rented a room in a hotel near the ferry that offered inexpensive bicycle rentals. E-bikes, to be exact.  It was a Tuesday afternoon in September by the time we checked into the hotel, so we planned the trip to the bothy for the next day. I thought it would be easy, only 1.5 hours from the hotel, according to our map app. The trip actually took six hours.  The app didn’t factor in our missing the turn onto the A849, which...
Read more

Twinkle, twinkle, Emma’s star

-
Image
Upon cracking open one of Emma’s many books, I recently discovered a series of cards and bookmarks she made in late 2022. I’m touched, literally, to hold these traces of her creativity and craft.  One friend said they were probably potato prints, and appear to be made on handcut watercolor paper. If the friend remembers correctly, Emma wasn’t happy with the result. No, they are not perfect. But me, I love the playfulness, irregularity, and singularity of the stars. Some of them look like explosions or someone reaching out in all directions. It’s her!  May Emma's star touch you as well this festive season. 
Read more