Herry's Archives

Edward’s Memorial Speech Thank you all for coming here to celebrate and honour the memory of my father, Hereward Lawford. Herry to most but to my brother, sisters and I: Dad.  Seeing so many people here to say goodbye to Dad, shows just how loved he was and how much he will be missed. Dad played many roles. A businessman and colleague, a friend, a brother, a husband, a father. Today, in honour of him, my brother Charlie and I wanted to share some of our perspective of who Dad was to us. From our early years, I grew up physically apart from him, after moving to Sydney with my Mum, brother and sister when I was about six years old. My childhood memories of Dad are mostly of his visits to Sydney or occasionally us travelling back to the UK to stay with him, family and friends over our summer holidays. When Dad came to visit, it was always a fun time. Oftentimes we took trips together up to Noosa and the Gold Coast, or spent Summer’y Christmases at home in Sydney.  Dad absolutely ...

Even whilst very young I was aware that Herry was somehow different, unique.  He expanded my cultural horizons from early on, giving me books about interesting, impressive women, and other presents were often exotic and unusual.  Once, he even adopted a duck for me at a wildfowl centre.  Best of all, he gifted me a goddaughter when I was just thirteen years-old.  And around the same time, he treated me to a night out in London that I’ll never forget, and which exemplifies all that was so exceptional about him. I don’t remember the restaurant, but it was fancier than anywhere this young country bumpkin had ever been, and the food was superb.  After dinner we got in Herry’s car - again, I forget, but it was very smart and there was definitely leather.  He drove us down Regent Street to look at the Christmas lights as the stereo played Joan Armatrading’s ‘Love & Affection’.  I thought it was the coolest thing I’d ever heard and, to this day, it’s stil...

Whilst Herry documented his life in great detail through his online journal, he still remained an enigma to most who knew him.  So, I appealed to his family and friends, and am hugely grateful for their memories of him.  Much of what I am about to say comes from them. They have helped lighten my load today and have added to what I now realise was my own limited perspective of Herry.   Shining through these memories are Herry’s best qualities: humour and sense of fun, friendship, love of family, integrity, generosity, concern for others, and spirituality. He had the gift of discernment and judgement and could see, and prize, what is precious and valuable in people. We all remember his sense of style and he seemed to take any opportunity to live well, not as a rehearsal for later, but as precious time to be used. He was also remarkably erudite, curious and observant. Herry was born near here at Litchfield, to Patrick and Annette Lawford.  In 1950, the family moved...