Deborah Stretton 1965 -2009
This Website is dedicated to the memory of Deborah Stretton 
Appreciation of things we take for granted , is often harder than appreciation of special things.Her favourite colour was purple.Deb’s loved Nature and the complex changes of the seasons she loved Autumn and spring,the change of colours and new growth,she liked to touch the bark of trees and smell the scent of flowers.She liked to walk through fallen leaves with her partner and friends and dogs she helped from the sanctuary.She liked to climb hills and reach the top.She liked to walk in the frost and the snow.Her wisdom and compassion came from nature and understanding of the human condition.What we value is sometimes only material her emphasis was on relationships with family friends and animals,not with items,and bricks.She sold her house and all her possessions and gave up her job to travel the world.She helped destitute dogs in Athens,travelled to Egypt,Greece, Chec Republic, Germany and the former Yugoslavia and worked in Turkey picking oranges and also spent 3 months in a tent in Holland picking daffodil bulbs.She then came back to the UK and picked up a 1st class Honours in Humanities.Her ideas on thinking and learning to philosophise were taken into her teaching work.Debs was very passionate about teaching children to think , before they went to to school ,and she tried to develop basic philosophy courses for young children.She developed this idea in her approach to teaching and incorporated it in her English classes to great success.She hated exploitation of any kind and went on many anti hunt demonstrations when she was able to.
To defend the weak is a bold thing to do.To give time to people is the best gift anyone can give.Deb’s would listen ,and give time and help and support and compassion and empathy,and then give it again.She Loved people in their essence and not in their appearance,she loved people for there souls and not their clothes.She loved people for their humour and not their possessions.She loved people for who they were and not what she wanted them to be.She loved people who gave to her, and she gave back.
When we have pain we cry.The hardest thing to do is hide pain. Deb’s did this as she didn’t want her partner, family and friends to suffer her pain ,because she cared so much for them .This is a strength that only a few people have,Deb’s had this strength.In return she accepted love from her partner , family and friends.When we die we leave clothes and books and possessions and things.That wither and fade.
Moments spent with a dear friend are reels of film that are replayed in the mind ,and paused and replayed again.We all have our own films that feature Deb’s.That we will play again and again.She will be greatly missed by all of us,by being in the fortunate position of having her as a partner, sister and friend all our lives have been made much richer and we are all better people for knowing her.