Wake for Geoffrey Meadon

 I was sorry to hear that Geoffrey Meadon died a few days ago.  He was well known around Hay, most recently zipping up into the centre of town on his mobility scooter from the alms houses where he lived.  

I first knew him when he lived in the flat over Hay Deli (now Eighteen Parrot - the Deli moved into larger premises across the road).  This was the same flat that was occupied by a police marksman during the infamous dentists' siege about thirty years ago - the dentists' surgery was across the road back then.  

Before I came to Hay he was involved in running the Performing Arts Bookshop, and of course he had dealings with Richard Booth during the early days of Hay as a Book Town.

I only heard that the wake was happening about an hour before it started, so I went down to Kilverts with a couple of colleagues straight from work.  I slipped away before they started showing the slide show/film of Geoffrey's life, though.  A good crowd had gathered, and there was a spread of sandwiches and other nibbles in the back room.