This is a thought shared by Vaughan Melzer that she asked us to add to the site. Thanks Vaughan it's beautiful "In 2004, when thinking of all the people I had met in my life and whom I had valued, I wrote: ‘One beautiful Spring Day Audrey entered our lives. She entered our home in Chelsea, laughing and we loved her immediately. ' The ‘we’ was my mother, Margaret (then Melzer, later Amosu) and myself. My mother had attended the first Berlin Youth Festival after the War c. 1948. There she had met a communist called Dankwart Schroeder, after which they exchanged letters for many years. Dankwart had probably met Audrey at the same time, and also kept up a correspondence with her*. From his home in East Germany, he facilitated a meeting between Margaret and Audrey, which I shall always remember because of Audrey’s brimming personality. I was probably about 12, and 9 years younger than her. For all the years leading up to her marrying Jimmy, we would see Audrey frequently, she coming to us mainly. I was about 14, or 15 when Audrey invited me to spend some of a weekend with her in her rented flat in Blackheath (Audrey would often say to us I don’t know which of you, Margaret to Vaughan I feel closest to). It felt strange and exciting waking on the mattress on the floor and seeing the light coming through the attic window high up. Later, we stepped out onto the Heath and chatted non-stop as we looked across at the panorama of London on that Sunday morning, and then – very grown-up – we stopped off at he pub for a beer! Audrey and loaned me a sky-blue sweatshirt. It was a little too big for me. But I loved it because it was hers and made me feel grown-up. Audrey let me keep it."

When we visited Vietnam,Laos and Cambodia in 2006 we were lucky enough to meet Audrey. We both found her forthright, challenging, honest, super bright and fun. We shared adventures and had many interesting discussions. Audrey said meeting us made the holiday but we were the fortunate ones to gain her as our friend. Our lives were enriched by knowing her. We will miss her. Louise Hemming and Mary Feeney xx