In Memoriam … Joseph Mills, April 15, 1958 – September 21, 2022

Joe aged 3 (he loved cats really)

Rare photo of Joe i snapped in Camden

Here's his description of the last time a bunch of us got together in that london:

Great week in London. An Air B'n'B place to stay that was near perfect.
Me, George, Mieze, Rigby and the "Mini Wineses" as Rigby labelled them - (Kayla and David).
Got off to a great start. On other visits there was always some mix-up at the start.
I expected them to be waiting for me at the train terminal but they were waiting outside.
Much confusion ensued. Far more confusion than necessary to be honest if we were all or any of us capable adults.

This time George was right there at the terminal. Great. A first! But then we lost each other 10 minutes later.
I got off the tube, turned around and he was gone. This became the Theme of the thing.
Everybody losing each other. I blame Rigby and George!
They walk too fast. They stride out in front with nary a look back at the rest of us.
(Mieze was my carer! She made a point of keeping track of me - awesome adorable support I couldn't have done without - in many ways).
They even managed to lose the Mini Wineses - 18 and 27 - who ended up crossing London Bridge in confusion.
Have to add - they came running up behind us not much later.
David: "Oi mate why did you abandon us!"
Me to Mieze: "How did they get here so soon?"
Mieze: "Youth".

I was always moaning about the endless walking. With good reason!
I've had a congenital heart condition - Scimitar Syndrome since - uh, birth.
And I know that's tautology.
Plus a lung in half.
At one point I heard Rigby saying (thinking I couldn't hear)
"We could WALK to Camden Market - but we'd never hear the end of it"

So we did Camden, which was great - shrines to amazing Amy Winehouse all over.
And The Tate Gallery. OK, but no Warhol that I could find. Though there were films with lots of Velvets stuff.
Then the 70s/80s gay bar 'Retro' for the pub quiz - which Rigby/Kayla/David's team lost by a half point!
He got 17 and a half. But George and Mieze and myselfs team got 16 so not far behind.
(You get really caught up in these things).
Also George did this amazing drawing. It should have won.
The theme was Climate Change, which they went on about a bit too much for me.
I mean it was a pub quiz.
Outside there were all the protests and drum stuff - which we loved.
David: "I want to go over there!"

Met Sailor, who was amazing, like you've met in a previous life. Then Gisele's "Crowd"...
At one point I was thrown off the bus because my Oyster Card didn't have enough credit.
It was very late. George was brilliant. Jumped up and came off the bus with me at great inconvenience.
Of course we got lost and ended up getting a taxi two minutes from our destination.
Just like last year. Still, He's my (Super) Hero.
Which reminds me! Kayla got us all hooked on The Boys - a superhero TV series about ... oh don't ask!
But it's worth checking out.
David for some reason (stoned out of his head/headphones) decided to get on the tube going in the opposite direction to our target. Lost lost lost. Kayla rescued him.
The Wineses are real natural Rescuers - doing it unselfishly because it's the right thing to do.
Maybe there is something to a Christian upbringing.

Best bit: me, George, Rigby, late night, red red wine, watching "Handsome Devil" on the huge TV screen, commenting.

I'll miss him greatly