--------------------------
Jill
Dick
--------------------------
Jill Dick was custodian
of Swanwick's warchest for many years and a formidable negotiator on behalf
of the school.
For many, she was the first point of contact with Swanwick, and was an
insightful mentor to those in need of a quiet word.
From her sickbed, earlier this year, she declared an intention of attending
Swanwick 2006, but it was not to be.
Her final request was that no flowers be sent on her passing; but instead
and if people so wished they could send a donation to the Swanwick Writers
Summer School.
==============================
JILL
------------------
From Katy Clarke
Chairman
-------------------------
This has been a very sad time for Swanwick. Our past treasurer of many
years standing, and much loved friend, Jill Dick, has passed away.
Many of you have been sending Secretary Jean Sutton donations in Jill's
memory. Jill's son, Phil, let us know his mother wanted something to come
to the school. So we shall wait until most, or all donations are in and
then we will make sure that a fitting tribute will be in place. We will
keep you advised of this via the newsletter.
Your messages and thoughts, memories and words, will be sent on to Jill's
son. Jill was an inspiration to many of us, a truly fine woman. Her dedication
to Swanwick, her concern for, and interest in members, her determination
to keep the school healthy financially and running successfully, is known
to countless grateful members across many years.
I don't think one single one of us, can forget her always-welcoming smile,
her keen intellect ....and her warm heart.
To some
of us, she was also a caring friend.
Jill was the kingpin and pivot on which The Summer School depended in
so many ways.
She was, always a vital part of Swanwick.
She always will be.
Katy
chairman.
Lasting
thanks for the life of Jill Dick
The Writers' Summer School was well represented when
Jill Dick, the School's beloved past Treasurer, was laid to rest on Tuesday
3rd October, 2006.
Marion Hough (the School's immediate past Chairman and one of Jill's closest
friends) travelled from Essex to Derbyshire to join Mary Wibberley, Muriel
Wilshaw, Deric Longden and other Swanwick friends in celebrating Jill's
life.
After a private service at the local Crematorium, Jill's son Phillip extended
an open invitation to family, friends and neighbours to join in a Service
of Thanksgiving at Buxton Methodist Church. The heartwarming service was
conducted by the Reverend Bob Davies and included his own personal tribute
to Jill along with messages from friends and a special speech by Phil
Dick.
The service opened with Nimrod Variation from Elgar's Enigma
Variations and closed with Bach's Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring.
Hymns included Praise My Soul the King of Heaven, Guide Me O Thou
Great Redeemer and Dear Lord and Father of Mankind.
Afterwards, everyone was invited to join Phil at the Church Tea Room for
light refreshments, biscuits and cake. In keeping with Jill's wish for
donations to the Writers' Summer School in lieu of flowers, a cash collection
was taken with generous donations from all the gathered friends and family.
This money will join the cheques which are already beginning to flood
in to the School via the Secretary, Jean Sutton, and will be used to provide
a fitting and lasting tribute to Jill.
-------------------
From Diana Wimbs
Vice-chair
-------------------------
Like so many of us,
my last few emails from Jill were full of her trademark enthusiasm and
affection for the School. Despite the gravity of her illness, her emails
were always such fun to receive, invariably ending in another of her trademarks
- a colourful dancing 'Jill' signature.
Jill was one of the most generous people I've ever met. When she heard
that my book on Freelance Copywriting had been accepted by A & C Black
(the publishers of her own hugely successful books), she was endlessly
helpful and encouraging, both on the phone and by email.
After
it was published, she insisted on my sharing her table at the Swanwick
Book Fair, which meant that all the people flocking to buy her books saw
(and occasionally bought) mine as well. It was a selfless act that was
typical of Jill.
Now her generosity and love of the School are once again in evidence with
her amazing last 'gift' of donations in her memory. We will never see
her like again.
God bless you Jill, you were - are - a truly unique and irreplaceable
friend.
Diana
---------------------
From Louise Cahill
-------------------------
Jill
was brill.
Louise Cahill
----------------------
From Brian
Read
---------------------------
My outstanding
memory of Jill Dick is of her up-to-date knowledge of computing.
From the early 1980s I took an interest in home computers mainly because
I could see that word processing for writers was the way ahead.
In those days, the only people I knew with a similar interest were men
but at Swanwick I discovered that Jill was a competent computer user.
She showed me a new gadget she had recently bought - a Psion hand-held
computer which she carried in her handbag.
It was a British make of what we would now call a Palmtop. It had a tiny
keyboard and screen and included a word processor, a spreadsheet, a database,
a diary and so on. I couldn't wait to get one of my own and since then
I've always carried a Palmtop, now even smaller, in my pocket.
Jill was a most competent computer-user and no doubt this skill contributed
to her success as Swanwick's Treasurer. I'm sure many other Swanwick members
will miss her cheerful and clear advice on everything relevant to creative
writing.
Brian Read
(Alan Wykes/1964)
-------------------
From Barbara Jackson
-------------------------
I first spoke to Jill in 1987 when
I received a very last minute booking for Swanwick.
Somebody had fallen out and I had received a phone call from the Secretary,
Phillipa Boland telling me that if I wanted to take up this offer, and
it was to share a room I was to phone Jill Dick I had two days in which
to get ready
Phew!
The call had arrived earlier in the evening which my son had taken.. I
made a very quick decision and phoned Jill at about 11pm apologising for
the lateness of the hour but of course she did'nt mind and dispelled all
my fears, telling me how much I would enjoy myself. I wrote the cheque
then and there and it was posted that night. Just after speaking to Jill
I rang Phillapa back to verify that I had done this.
My
first Swanwick and a special greeting when I met Jilll for the first time.
She was a lovely lady and was always the same, charming and direct. It
was the year before she was taken ill that she wrote and asked me to partake
in 'What are you writing now' l
My sincere thoughts are with Jill's son. I feel sure that he was immensely
proud of her
Barbara Jackson.
Southampton
-------------------
From Janice Day
-------------------------
How
sad that Jill has passed. She was lovely.
I shared a bench overlooking
the lake with her once when I was at Swanwick. I didn't know her very
well but she took the time to listen to my aspirations (at the time) towards
journalism.
She didn't laugh derisively when I said I wanted a column (which I now
know was a ludicrously optimistic proposition) but she was also honest.
She said something like this: "Those people with columns have earned
the right to have them by a long apprenticeship, learning their craft
and working their way up."
She was tough and she was right, but she didn't say it at all unkindly.
And when I wrote a short piece later in the year she even read it, encouraged
me without being unrealistic and gave me a personal lead for submitting
it to Metro.
I thought she was
smashing and I'm sad not to have the chance to see her again.
Janice Day (Swanwick
2002/3)
-------------------
From Stella Whitelaw
-------------------------
This
is such sad news.
Jill was a very brave woman in all aspects of life. She was at Southern
Writers, Chichester, it seems not long ago, fighting fit and full of wisdom.
She always sent me lovely cat stickers and they are around the edge of
my computer screen.
A daily reminder of a good friend.
Stella Whitelaw
------------------
From Wincey Willis
-------------------------
So
sorry to hear of Jill's passing.
Although I haven't been to Swanwick for some time, I still hold it dear
to my heart and Jill was very much a part of the warm welcome I always
received.
She will be sorely missed and remembered with affection and gratitude,
for all her hard work, by all who had the pleasure of meeting her.
A while ago I arranged to be in Glasgow, in the week surrounding her funeral,
meeting up with friends I first met years ago in Swanwick; Morgan, Michael,
Margaret and I drank a fond toast to Jill.
My best wishes to all her family.
Wincey Willis
-----------------
From Gordon Wells
-------------------------
One
of my fond memories of Jill goes back to the days of the Garden House.
There was often a late night sing-song centering on the main staircase.
Jill's room was at the foot of the stairs.
She never complained: every now and then a slip of paper would emerge
under the door, suggesting a fresh song for us to sing.
And she always cared for the Swanwick cats – who also loved her.
She and I shared a common birthday – but never discussed which year!
She was a real, dear friend.
Swanwick will miss her.
Gordon Wells.
------------------
From Jean Saunders
-------------------------
Older
Swanwickers in particular will remember our dear friend Jill, and we all
have our special memories of her.
The night before the school began in the first year I was a committee
member, I had my usual room overlooking the swimming pool in the Garden
House, and Jill was in her usual room on the ground floor.
We were the only two in the whole place and it was quite unnerving, but
comforting to know that practical Jill wasn't too far away.
She was a fair and lovely lady, and always a good friend to me, and although
this news was inevitable it is a very sad day for Swanwick.
But she will always be there in spirit.
Jean
Saunders
----------
From Caroline Paisley
-------------------------
It's so sad to hear that Jill Dick has died.
She was so kind and encouraging to me when I was a 'newbie.'
I'll never forget her warmth and enthusiasm.
Caroline Paisley
---------------
From Katy Clarke
-------------------------
Dear Friends,
It has been very sad
news to hear of Jill's passing.
Jill died while at
home with her loving son Phil at her side.
Many of you have enquired
where any donations should be sent.
Can you please send
donations to: Jean Sutton, 10 Stag Rd, Lake, Sandown, Isle of Wight.PO36
8PE. (if cheque, made out to The Writers' Summer School'),
Please make sure
you give your name, etc.
More information
will follow, regarding an appropriate tribute.
holding Jill in our
hearts,
warmest,
Katy
chairman.
---------------
From Jackiei
Cooper
-------------------------
I was indeed very sad to learn a few days ago that Jill had not made it.
She was the first person I met when I came to Swanwick some ten years
or more, and how kind and helpful she was.
She loved cats too!
I live in Geneva and no longer have a UK account but I shall ask my daughter
or a friend in England to send a cheque for me to Jean Sutton, made out
to the Writers Summer School.
As always, Jackiei Cooper
---------------
From Jean
Sutton
-------------------------
Together with so many of our Swanwick members, I knew Jill for over thirty
years.
She was consistently kind, helpful and even tempered, but never afraid
to put her own point of view.
She was at the centre of our School for all those years.
Since I came onto the Committee I worked very closely with Jill and she
was encouraging and co-operative, even visiting my home to do some work
together.
Jill lives on in us if we remember all she taught us about striving hard
to achieve success.
A very special lady.
Jean Sutton
---------------
From Brendan
Nolan
-------------------------
Jill,
ever the innovator, set up the first Swanwick email network as the internet
developed. There were eleven addresses on that list.
To identify ourselves to one another at the following Swanwick, Jill asked
if we would attach a small blue sticker to our name badges, which we did.
This
caused one irate non-email person to complain at the AGM that there was
an elite amongst Swanwickers wearing blue dots and it was not fair, and
that everybody should be issued with blue dots in the interest of equality.
Ever after, a smile could be wrought from Jill the subversive by addressing
her as: "Oh Great Blue Dot."
For a while then she sent out a newsletter as material accumulated and
then somebody else did it for a while before expressing a wish to hand
it on to somebody else, once more.
It was a year I did not attend Swanwick and I rather foolishly said to
Jill that if nobody else volunteered I would have an interest in seeing
what might develop.
In retrospect it is not at all surprising that she emailed me after Swanwick
to say I was the new editor and to carry on as I thought best.
In
declaring that the newsletter then was to have nothing to do with "Official"
Swanwick she freed it to grow of its own accord.
It has, we have some
260 names on the list now and Jill would be pleased to see how Swanwickers
have saluted her through her newsletter.
May the Great Blue Dot look after us always, for wherever she is, she
is surely smiling.
Brendan Nolan
------------------
From Phil Dick
-------------------------
I have
had to close down my Mum's telephone line and broadband service.
Consequently, any messages that are sent cannot be received - some good
people are still emailing my Mum.
If you would be good enough to pass this information around "Swanwickers"
I would be grateful.
Should anyone wish to contact me, my email address, of course remains
open.
Thanks and regards.
Phil.
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