The world interrupts.
Writing this column and creating a radio show is, in many ways, an idyllic way to spend one’s spare time but one should not fail to acknowledge the horrors that are being visited on many around the globe. This week’s column will reflect that fact as things come close to home and I try to tell you about a courageous and selfless woman who has become the latest death in Ukraine.
Post pandemic, I received the birthday present of a remedial massage from the ever generous Mrs H and I duly turned up at the studio wherein I met the practitioner Tetyana Millard (see photo), a woman of Ukrainian extraction who had married an Englishman and settled in the Home Counties.
She was brilliant and very soon I was receiving treatment every term. As we got to know each other she became very interested in my playlists that I always insisted on using – none of this waterfalls, floaty nonsense for me when having my scapula violently manipulated! In early 2022 we had a long discussion about how concerned she was with the Russian buildup on Ukraine’s borders. I stated at the time ‘Surely not’ which she countered with ‘He is the devil and does not care about people’. She stated that if anything happened she would have to do something. Sure enough it did happen and she did do something. Once she had made sure her family were safe, she set about volunteering and eventually helping set up Project Konstantin which specialised in bringing humanitarian aid to frontline communities as well as medevacuation of injured Ukrainian fighters or civilians. She spent months in Ukraine and then months in the UK raising funds to support their operations. My last massage was in September and I had one booked for 6th October but received a text saying she had to go back as there was too much work to be done. On the 9th of October she perished in a car accident after driving 13 hours through the night to return to her frontline base. The sat nav directed her to a road from which her car plunged down a weir and she was lost.
It’s a terrible, tragic waste of a caring and compassionate woman who had the strength of her convictions and the courage to see them through. She undoubtedly saved many lives through her actions and bravery and will be greatly missed by all those who knew her. I cannot imagine what her family is feeling. I would ask you please to investigate the charity she helped set up and if you can help them to continue the good work then please do.
This week I’ve been thing about my festive fifty of the best tracks of 2023 for the radio show. Lots of contenders, more than I imagined when I started…
Let’s start with Kara Jackson and maybe some Wilco and then there is this week’s Sounds from beyond the Shed radio show in association with AUK. This week is ‘deep cuts’ week and there’s lots to enjoy as well as anaesthetic chat and a track for Tetyana.
This is a sad but very good memory of a person who worked ceaselessly to help others. In the ongoing murderous aggression against Ukraine and Palestine, it’s important to bear witness, and put names and faces to the civilians who are paying the ultimate price.
Absolutely Fiona. Thanks for reading and commenting.