Family’s walk in memory of Gavin & Stacey fan
FRIENDS of a brave and much-loved mum have completed 200 miles from Essex to Wales in her memory – because she was such a huge fan of TV’s Gavin & Stacey.
Mum-of-two Pia Eaves, 54, loved watching the beloved BBC comedy as she battled cancer.
Her family say the tangled love story of Gavin and Stacey’s families in Barry Island and Essex always put a smile on her face.
And they received messages of support from stars such as Ruth Jones, Matthew Horne, and Steffan Rhodri.
Pia – who enjoyed a successful career in international banking – was described as “an incredibly positive person and always full of smiles.”
So her family have arranged a sponsored walk with a Gavin & Stacey theme to raise money for research.
Widower Simon and daughters Rhiannon, 21, and 18-year-old Emilia – along with friends and family – tackled a 200-mile route from Billericay in Essex all the way back to their home in Barry.
Daughter Rhiannon said: “It’s a really feel-good show and it’s one that we watch when we feel down. We love it.
“I think Mum would be so, so proud of us for doing this. She’d probably say that we were crazy, but she’d be overwhelmed with how much love there is here for her.”
Simon said: “During her illness, Pia would cheer herself up by watching episodes of Gavin and Stacey and the programme became a firm favourite of the family.
“We wanted to do something positive in her memory so we’ve decided to walk 200 miles from Billericay in Essex to Marco’s Cafe on Barry Island.
“Pia grew up in Barry and her family ran a number of local cafes in the town including Terry’s Cafe in Holton Road and the Softa Freeze Bar, now Marco’s – the site of many scenes from Gavin and Stacey.”
The couple lived abroad in South Africa, Israel, and Dubai and had their two children before returning to Wales.
Pia was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in October 2020 and passed away 11 months later, in September 2021 at the age of just 54.
The team completed the challenge in just 12 days finishing on Sunday.