Lake of Lights is a glowing tribute to lost loved ones
Poignant event organised by Rowans Hospice
THE wet weather failed to dampen spirits as thousands of people paid their respects to those who are no longer with us.
In a beautiful evening at Canoe Lake, Southsea, people flocked to the annual Lake of Lights service, organised by Rowans Hospice.
There, people were each given a candle to put out onto the lake, lighting up the water in memory of others.
A service followed, complete with a community choir, band, carol singing and readings.
Rowans Hospice, based in Waterlooville, is a well-loved charity in the Portsmouth region, having touched so many people’s lives.
Kevin Swanton, 61 from Baffins, put a candle out onto the lake in memory of his wife Susan, who died of cancer in 2018 after a short stay in the hospice.
He said: ‘My wife had cancer for 29 years, it kept on coming back – the last time it was breast cancer that spread to her lungs.
‘She always said that when it came to the end she wanted to go to the Rowans Hospice, and she spent the final two weeks of her life there.
‘They were absolutely fantastic, I can’t say enough for them; it’s so clear that they want to go the extra mile for people. We all come out to donate to Rowans but someday we should do something special for the nurses and staff too.’
The poignant display gave everyone a chance to reflect, with a moment’s silence towards the end of the service.
Nicola Smith, 52 from Eastney, went up to the lake with three candles in her hands – one for her mother, one for an old friend and one for a woman called Lorraine Marshall.
Lorraine appeared in The News in August after scooterists organised a Vespa rally for her following a diagnosis of stage four cancer, but she died in November.
Nicola said: ‘Lorraine was a good friend of mine – I was part of the group that was going to join her with the skinny dip that was on her bucket list.
‘Sadly, she never got round to it, but hopefully we’ll do it in her memory instead.
‘I don’t have any family members who went into the hospice but they do such a wonderful job for the community and it’s nice to come and remember the people you have lost like this.
‘Christmas can be quite a difficult time, but this is very uplifting.’
Mandy Gleeson and her family were remembering her grandad, Bill, who died 18 years ago.
The 27-year-old said: ‘This is the first time I’ve been to this – I came down from Oxford to see my family and we decided to all come to this.
‘We were all saying how many people have come down, there’s a real sense of community here.
‘It’s great to see so many people remembering their loved ones.
‘You think about how many people know someone with cancer now and to remember
them like this is just really nice.’
But while some were attending the event for the first time, others have made it a permanent fixture in their annual calendar.
Harvey Chapman, 15 from Havant, is a regular attendee of the Lake of Lights event, remembering his grandmother, Jean.
He said: ‘My nan died in 2009, but we come to this every year to remember her.
‘It’s become a tradition for the whole family and it’s nice to see so many other people doing the same thing.
‘It’s the sort of thing that brings everyone in the area together.’