Family - Birtwells and Warhursts

Andy Birtwell

Andy in his favourite haunt on the West Coast of Scotland. Currently trying to sell his Water Purifying business, and practising his psychotherapy whilst also doing lots of projects around Holycombe. He is at his happiest in the garage or wood work shed mending things. He just spent most of two weeks during a heatwave in Scotland in a 2ft x 2ft cupboard mending the stairs.

Sal on holiday in Cuba

Sal is currently running Holycombe, giving shiatsu treatments, making collages from sea shells and writing songs and going on lots of holidays

Emily-Jane Birtwell.

EJ is Andy's eldest daughter. Having been in the Arts for the past seven years she is now working as Centre Manager for an independent adult education centre called the Friends Centre in Brighton. She lives with her with her partner David, a writer and photographer (www.daveashtonphotography.com). EJ enjoys the arts, walking, cooking, gardening & travel.

This is Toto Warhurst, Sal's oldest daughter who had five gorgeous children ranging in age from 13 - 3. Her partner Fred also has 3 children. She lives just up the road and the children come and stay often.

Toto (Antonia) Warhurst

Justy at Christmas

Justy, Sal's second daughter is currently working on a screenwriting script having just finished the Bond, and been to see the preview of Mama Mia which she also worked on.

She has written and recorded a CD of lovely songs but she is so modest that she never tells anyone about it.

Caroline, Sal's youngest daughter,lives in Brighton and works for the Criminal Justice system as an Arrest Referral worker - a charity that helps substance misusers out of their cycle. She is creative, talented, intelligent and loves laughing. Her future goal is to become an Integrative Arts Psychotherapist.

Caroline Warhurst

George at Easter, on his way to give
his nephews and neices a Big Surprise!

George, Andy's son is a property restorer and carpenter and also is in the Maydays, an impro group that has played at the Edinburgh and Brighton Festival. He made some of the beds at Holycombe. He has a lovely girlfriend called Rachel who is an architect in London. You can check out his beds at www.georgebirtwell.com.

Bea Birtwell

Bea, Andy's youngest daughter, is doing her Msc in Edinburgh in Psychology and hanging out with rapper Henry, and having a lot of fun

Sally is thoroughly enjoying letting go of her role of being Mrs Bennet and trying to get her three youngest daughters married off.

Songs

Sal has written a couple of songs for Madeleine McCann: Lament for Madeleine McCann and Mourning Song

I'm looking for some folk musicians to record them. The tunes are really nice.

Lament for Madeleine McCann
by Sally Birtwell

Your waif-like face shines down on us From papers, poster, news
So innocent and trusting
It wasn’t yours to choose
A fate so cruel, unjust, reviled
Like guttering with a knife

A child wrenched from kitch and kin Destroying faith in life

Chorus:
Oh, you stand for every missing child,
Stolen, hurt and used
Savaged by mans greed or power
Where ever they’re abused
I pray for you, I wont forget
I’ll do all that I can
For Ben, for children everywhere
And Madeleine McCann

2. The hearts and souls of those who love
Are left so much destroyed
Their faith a beacon in the dark
A candle in the void
But where the hell’s thy rod and staff
To comfort the bereft
As they walk in the valley
Of the Shadow of Death

Chorus:
Oh, you stand for every missing child,
Stolen, hurt and used
Savaged by mans greed or power
Where ever they’re abused
I pray for you, I wont forget
I’ll do all that I can
For Ben, for children everywhere
And Madeleine McCann

3. Our prayers have not been answered
No perpetrator yet
Do we now leave it up to fate
Or down to karmic debt?
We cannot see the justice,
Your Future plans in shreds
Your sister and your brother
And you missing from their beds

Chorus:
Oh, you stand for every missing child,
Stolen, hurt and used
Savaged by mans greed or power
Where ever they’re abused
I pray for you, I wont forget
I’ll do all that I can
For Ben, for children everywhere
And Madeleine McCann

Mourning Song
by Sally Birtwell

Snatched by a thief, taken away
We’re stricken by grief, day after day
Where is my child? Where could she be?
Who is she with? Why isn’t it me?

Chorus:
Visualise her playing at our feet
Think of her skipping out  in the street
Every child free to play  in their space
Let  make this, let us make this world a safer place

Soften this blow,  lighten this dark
Fill up this void, everything’s stark
Unbearable thoughts flood in my mind
Please God I pray, let them be kind

We give up hope, we sit and cry
How can we live? how can we die?
Beauty around, but we can’t feel joy
When all we have is her little pink toy

Chorus:
Visualise her playing at our feet
Think of her skipping out  in the street
Every child free to play  in their space
Let  make this, let us make this world a safer place

We sit and mourn, we’re in such pain
This musn’t happen ever again
Out trust is gone, what have they done?
We must be strong, we must go on –

Believing in truth, believing in love
Believing in justice here and above
There is some purpose for this  event
Some good will come, some crime prevent

Chorus:
Visualise her playing at our feet
Think of her skipping out in the street
Every child free to play in their space
Let us make this, let us make this world a safer place

Let her sweet soul shine like a star
God Bless you sweet one, wherever you are
Remember our child, taken one night
Wherever she is, a beacon of light.