Pep

Dear Pat & Alan, Thanks for the call. Flowers are welcome of course delivered to the Church, St. Mary's, Oldswinford, Stourbridge on the morning of her funeral on Thursday 26th April. Interflora and others usually do this kind of thing for well-wishers. Alternativel bring the flowers with you to the church before the service at 2pm. They can also be sent/delivered to Sanderson Funeral Services, Merridale Street, Wolverhampton between now and then. Helen will be lying in the Chapel of Rest at Sandersons on the day before the funeral, for anyone wishing to see her once more. Instead of flowers, charitable donations can be made to Mary Stevens Hospice by way of donations at the church service itself, via a collection being organised by St.Mary's. Nearby Mary Stevens Hospice (where my family was born when it was a maternity hospital in the fifties/sixties) were very amenable to Helen's needs near the end of her life, and provide superb palliative care to cancer victims. They rely on charitable donations. All the hundreds of sympathy cards will be kept and treasured forever by me and Ryan. Thankyou everyone for the many lovely cards and messages within them. Please, anyone who will be sending or bringing cards, can you put your contact details in so I can thank you or keep in touch with you in the months and years to come. I am also looking for any old (or more recent) photos of, or with, Helen in them. Please post them here on Soul-Source or eMail them to: mr.soul@live.co.uk Anyone can phone me on 01654 710264. I love talking to soul friends old and new, and will catch up with many of you soon. Love and great appreciation. XXX Ian (Pep)

If anyone has any old (or even recent) photos or images of my beloved, late wife Helen I would love to have a copy of them. Please eMail them to me at: mr.soul@live.co.uk And/Or post them here on this Soul-Source forum. Or phone me on 01654 710264. (Anecdotes and stories also wanted). Love and best wishes. XXX Ian 'Pep' Pereira.

Dear Pat & Alan, Of course you know Helen from her earliest days on the Scene, and she never forgot any of those sunrise-era soulies - nor the more recent soulmates she attracted for that matter. Love you both. XXX Pep

Thanks Sam. Yes we had a laugh or two. I recall first meeting in Max's shop around 1972. Max.. that was a terrible, sad loss too. XXX Pep

Hi Stewart, See my reply above. Many thanks. XXX Pep

Cheers Gary, You HAVE to be there! XXX Pep

Thankyou Stewart, Helen especially went out of her way for people who came along, knowing no one. Thanks to her many people went home knowing many. She was the catalyst for lots of friend-groups, and loved being friends - with anyone and everyone. Greatly appreciated. XXX Pep PS. As you probably know Ian Tyrer, one our best friends from the 80s and 90s passed on last year. A terrible loss to me and Helen at the time.

Thankyou Brian and June, You have been with us through much of her illness and remain even more so now. Like you say she did have a tongue on her. You could even say she was ahead of her time in that respect too! It was all part of her down to earth nature - born of a working class, council estate background. She would always stand up for me fiercely, even when I got it wrong, which was more often than I care to admit. It was kind of "us against the world" at times, and I loved her at my side, through thick and thin. I'm only half a man without her. We go back a very long way and I look forward to continuing that great friendship, the lifelong friendship teenagers forge. Thankyou for your enduring love and support for my Helen. Love you both. XXX Ian & Ryan

Thanks Martin, Carol. I appreciate your special memories (...I wondered why we took nothing on the door that night). Helen didn't care how rare a record was, if she liked it she was out there dancing - on her own sometimes, didn't matter to her. Liked all sorts: 60s, 70s, 90s, 00s. She liked what she liked and voted with her (dancing) feet. DJs who knew that were guaranteed one dancer, at the very least. Great to hear from you. Thankyou for keeping such fond memories of her in your thoughts. XXX Ian PS. I'll have to go through that earlier thread, put up so kindly for me just after she passed away.

Thanks Hippo, old mate. I know you'll remember Helen well from those early Seventies jaunts you and the Glos/Chelt crew made to Wolvo. Keep the soul flag flying down your way. Much appreciated good friend. XXX Pep

Thankyou everyone for your kind words. I will endeavour to respond to all of them. Similarly I will catch up on all the direct messages and notifications I have received asap. I appreciate all those who have made me a friend and will be in tegular contact once my present commitments have eased. Love you all. XXX Pep

I always remember you for that. Always loved it - still have it - often play it. A great Cats' memory. XXX Pep

Thanks Bill. You and Dawn were always and often fondly remembered for your selfless service to those great old Motown stars we soulies love so much. Greatly appreciated. XXX Pep

Brian, Thankyou. I remember you well from those days... and thankyou for remembering that happiness you saw. I try only to remember her smiles. Greatly appreciated. XXX Pep

Paddy, Mary, Thankyou for your thoughts. She was a bit of a Marjorie Proops in her time... saved the odd marriage I'm sure. "There's nothing else to say" (you know what I mean). Love you lots, XXX Ian

Thankyou Stinny, Gwynneth. Thanks too for being there with us, Esher, Beggsy and others in 1986 - refusing point blank to lock our record boxes. Keeping on keeping on when most had called time. Thankyou also for some great nights at the Thorn in Rugely. Good times, great memories. Thank you yet again, now, for remembering Helen so fondly and vividly. XXX Pep

Bod, Nicky, Helen would never see anyone stranded. She always put others first; thoughtful and considerate to the end. Bless her. That 100 Club trip (note my choice of word) was another mad night. Totally nuts! I'll need to get indemnity from Paul (Harpin) before sharing, mind you. It was so funny - you couldn't make it up. We have laughed about it often. Brilliant. Thankyou for thinking, reminding, loving. XXX Pep

Brian & Karen, Lovely to hear from you both. Thankyou for your sentiments and appreciation. Words like that are reward enough for our efforts, which would have come to nothing without like-minded die hard soulies like yourselves. Love you both. Thanks again. XXX Ian PS. Thanks for reminding me of Sidney Joe - she loved that too. I can see her dancing to it now. My eyes are glazing up. I still can't believe what has happened. Someone please wake me up.

Thankyou for your help. It has not gone unnoticed (and is needed). Will be in touch asap. XXX Pep

Thankyou Paul. XXX Ian

Thankyou for fond thoughts and memories of my beloved Helen. Love and appreciation. XXX Pep

Bernie & Paul, Thankyou for your lovely thoughts and memories. We never sold EMIDISCS mind you (...shhh!). I think you sum up the amazing relationship we had with our shop friends... recommend a few sounds, sell a couple, then off for a pint or curry at 6pm with you all. Wouldn't happen at HMV that's for sure. You also bring back a poignant yet happy memory of the late Bryn Lane. A lovely, modest lad who's only vice was super-hot tindaloo curry. Watching the steam coming out of his ears had us all in stitches. A fond and often recalled memory of ours... of a gentle boy taken so very young. Gone but not forgotten. Thankyou for holding onto those memories of my beautiful girl. XXX Pep PS. Something a bit more cryptic just for you Bernie... "...are you gonna believe what I tell you, or are you gonna believe what you see..."?

Mick, you know I can't add anything to that! You've been our best and closest friend for several years now. I know how much you loved Helen and know you're there for me and Ryan now. Thankyou for sharing and highlighting that wonderful, funny, human side of Helen. Love you lots. XXX Ian

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