I want to share with you some very devastating and upsetting news. For those of you who haven’t heard, our dear friend Lesley Parish lost her battle with cancer at St Michael’s Hospice on June 17^th.

Lesley was a founder member of HAG 45 years ago, and since then her contribution to the group, her enthusiasm and her energy have been immeasurable. She has sat on the Committee several times, acted on stage, directed, ran our Youngstars Group and made so many beautiful costumes that we have a store room bulging with them. Over the years and especially of late she has been instrumental in our fundraising activities. She spent many hours working on securing multiple grants to help us pay for our much needed technical upgrades. We now have brand new lighting and sound equipment which will benefit the group for many years to come. None of this would have been possible without her hard work and determination.

She was also a prominent member of our HAG Rocks! Choir, in the front row of the Altos, and I find it hard to imagine standing conducting the Choir without her being in front of me. Over the 17 years I have been a member of HAG we have worked on numerous shows together. I cannot put into words how grateful I am personally to her for all the help and support she has given me over this time.

I would not, I think, be overstating anything if I said that she was a village “icon”.  So very many people from all the various activities she was associated with over the years will feel her loss.

Our hearts and thoughts go out to her husband Mike and all her family at this very sad time.

We at HAG, the group she loved so much, will consider how we can honour her memory.

With Very Best Wishes,
Lesley Nicholls 
Chair: Hartley Arts Group.