Dear Seb and Olivia

I’m not very good at writing, not arty in the slightest; I haven’t got Ruth’s way with words or Charlotte’s way with the paintbrush, so I’ll keep it simple to just say how much your mum has meant to me over the last two years I’ve known her.

My best things about Charlotte:

– She is the best social organiser I know, she takes ideas and makes them happen.  She booked us all in for a great camping trip in Devon and persisted despite everyone’s different dates, tent sizes and dogs and some people didn’t even get round to paying for it (sorry!).  She has organised girls nights out, birthdays, Christmas meals and barbeques.

– She is the hostess with the mostest.  Not content with having seven children for tea every 3rd Tuesday she also invites hundreds of children for Halloween and toffee apples, and lets them run amoc in her beautiful home (and pee on her carpet).

– She is a great listener.  She has listened to me whinge and moan on many occasions, given me the hugs, tea and biscuits I need and sent me kind words at the right time, she is the perfect friend.

However…

– I hold her personally responsible for introducing me to bootcamp and depriving me of my lie-ins, her enthusiasm won me over, as it so often does.

– She makes terrible pancakes.  She may have got better, but pancakes from ready-mix pancake mixture have to go down as one of her worst culinary disasters.

You are lucky to have such a fantastic mum, she is a star and a stunner and if you grow up half as fab as her you are lucky kids.
Love Sarah. xx

Kirsty and I were extremely fortunate to have Charlotte and Chris as neighbours when we moved into Moseley in 2003, and we will always remember many fun times we got to experience during our time as Moseley Gaters. We were so glad to have found such a down to earth, funny and clearly loving couple with whom to share a bite (ok lazy pasta!), a beer (the Cross ain’t what it used to be!), a dance (Exhibit A below!) and most definitely a good old laugh. So with our tongue-in-cheek relationship firmly in mind…

Much like any High-End precision equipment, Chris discovered early on that Charlotte was practical, reliable, and could be operated in a number of exciting and rewarding Modes:

‘Glamorous Lady’ Mode:

During an excursion to Ascot in 2006 Charlotte looked every inch the fabulous lady she is!

‘Outward Bound’ Mode:

Charlotte is very much the all-action girl, so upon hearing about her and Chris’ previous great outdoor pursuits we all arranged a weekend jaunt to Snowdonia, with her good friends Lucy and Sylvia. When not arguing with Chris as to the right route to take, Charlotte illustrated the motivation, dedication and determination which she applies to all facets of her life.

[Please note in the photo above that ‘Outward Bound’ Mode and ‘Glamorous Lady’ Mode are not compatible.]

‘Dedicated Sportswoman’ Mode:

Kirsty and Charlotte threw an unforgettable joint 30th Birthday bash in 2005, I think you will all agree that despite being rather ‘big boned’ back then her sporting prowess still shone through 😉

[Once again ‘Dedicated Sportswoman’ Mode can only be operated independently to ‘Glamorous Lady’ Mode.]

‘Club Classic’ Mode:

In her ‘I’ve still got it!’ years Charlotte loved nothing more than to bust some fierce moves..

[To successfully engage ‘Club Classic’ Mode one must ensure sufficient ‘Wine Lubricant’ has been applied.]

Charlotte, thank you for guaranteeing the ONLY thing I will EVER picture when I hear “Back to Life” or “Murder on the Dancefloor” will be the vision below.. My go-to ‘feelgood’ video and 100% guaranteed to make me laugh out loud with the memory – so much for a ‘quiet night in’… TUUUNNEE!!! 😉

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7AG1dhNF0A&feature=youtu.be

(We’ll spare everyone the horror video of the boys’ “Deeply Dippy” rendition..)

The Moseley years finally came to an end as first Kirst and I and then Chris and Charlotte flew the Moseley nest to start new chapters in our lives, and despite life getting in the way of us meeting up as much as we should, Charlotte and Chris have always been close to our hearts. We are honoured to classify both as true and great friends, and we will always be grateful that we got to meet and be touched by someone as vibrant and infectious a personality as Charlotte. I particularly enjoyed my ‘banter battles’ with Charlotte, she never shirks a good argument debate! We always fondly recall her fantastic aura, with her sparking eyes, beautiful smile and infectious laugh, which never fails to light up a room.

Olivia and Sebastian, we know that you will be as proud to have as a mum the person we are proud to know as a fantastic friend. May your lives be as joyous, loving and fulfilled as your mum’s. If one inherits the key character of one’s parents then you will be both be truly blessed. We hope in time to count you as friends as we will always count your mum. She has bestowed upon us some truly unforgettable memories which we will cherish forever.

Wishing love and happiness to the whole Marsden family now and forever.

Olly & Kirsty xx

Eyes and smiles
It was 1998. My new flat had a big blank wall and I had a vague notion of wanting to hang a painting in the void. Something original, not Athena. So I opened the door of the new art shop in Peterborough and turned left – strange how you nearly always turn left when you step into a shop. I found myself staring at some pottery, acutely aware that I knew absolutely nothing about art, that I really couldn’t afford any of the prices written on the tags, and that a member of staff was approaching.
Think, you Philistine! Think!
I can’t remember what I said, but I do remember turning around and being met by a pair of sparkling eyes and the most captivating smile.
Charlotte.
She showed me around the gallery and asked me what I liked. It didn’t matter that I didn’t know oil from resin. She had a genuine interest in exciting people’s interest in art.
I bumped into her a few times over the next year or so. I would spot her in H&M or in a bar in town. We went to the Millennium Dome together. At the time the dullest people moaned about this ‘folly’; but I remember that Charlotte saw only the exhibitors’ creativity and originality.
Every time we met she made me smile. Chazzer, as I called her then – largely to wind her up; she’s the least likely Chazzer – was simply the most optimistic person I had ever met. She was impulsive and irrepressible. She would test and question your limits. In fact, if you’re lucky enough to be in her company, you are very likely to do something outside your comfort zone. Anything is possible. And there is normally no point in persuading her otherwise…
Actually, some things were not possible. She tried to teach me how to draw. I dug out an old sketchbook the other day and I’m afraid the results aren’t great. I certainly wouldn’t want to sit on the chair I scrawled and my hand looks like Yoda’s. Sorry, Teach.
I haven’t seen her for many years; she moved away from Potatoborough. I missed her. But we have exchanged the odd Christmas card and text, just to check that everything’s okay. She never forgets you. I remember that if ever I was fed up, we’d talk, tease, laugh. Those eyes would sparkle. She made me feel better. There for you when you need her.
I never did buy any paintings from the shop. Instead, I left having made the most wonderful friend. Someone very special in my life.

Dear Seb and Olivia,

Your mummy is a fantastic woman – an excellent, supportive, funny and straight talking individual – she’s remarkably talented, yet very modest about it and as a friend – someone who has proven to be so special and essential to helping me make Portishead my home.

She is a discerning person with an excellent choice in friends (clearly!) but has created a legacy here in Portishead of a tight knit circle of strong and committed friendships bound together by similarities – and the eccentricities (!) –that Charlotte recognises in us and herself.

My very first meeting with your mummy was as two harassed and exhausted mothers at the Gym Academy – both with crazy 2 year old boys catapulting at full speed down the inflatable runway (that’s you Seb, and Billy) and newborn baby girls strapped precariously to our fronts (that’s you, Olivia and Daisy). Within 5 minutes we’d established we had both just moved to Portishead, knew nobody and needed some sanity. I have certainly found it in the many subsequent hours we have spent together. I remain truly grateful to Charlotte for getting me through those difficult first few months in Portishead.

There are many funny stories that spring to mind – meeting you, ‘Zeb’, and wondering quite how the translation worked –before your mummy told me of her time growing up in Germany and that she actually had to learn English when she moved here as a child. I couldn’t believe that this was the only clue to an otherwise perfect English accent. Your mum’s love of German traditions extends to the love of all things Christmas – that crazy mechanical Christmas toy (all Christmas decorations present and correct on the 1st December!) and particularly those little ginger biscuits covered in icing – a permanent fixture on my Christmas list now too.

We’ve had all sorts of fun – dragging you both, and Billy and Daisy, round Court Farm in sub-zero temperatures wondering why no one else is there…. and nearly smoking the house out and exploding the bottle of maple syrup on pancake day. And then there’s the first ever boot camp your mum and I did, and her courteous request for my opinion on varying colour schemes in your hallway – and swift realisation I didn’t have a clue…it still helped make up her mind though! We’ve had many ‘clean vs tidy’ discussions (obviously we know a house does not have to be tidy – ever – to be clean!) our crazy cats, the juicer, the great Christmas and Halloween parties.

Your mum and I both love the theatre – she did such a brilliant job of getting me organised, out the door and indulging in something we both loved (yup, even the crazy mime performance which turned out to be absolutely brilliant!). And I had a brilliant grown up night out at one of your mum’s launches – where I was very proud to be mates with the artist!!

My only disagreements with your mum are clearly based around health and safety (go on Billy climb it…..Seb – GET DOWN!!)

Seb and Olivia – your mum has been a great friend to me – someone I feel naturally comfortable with and who is on my wave length. She has organised fabulous parties – with every detail considered and her artistic flair and panache evident in the decoration! She has very high standards of behaviour and discipline – manners, eating all your dinner, please and thank you – consideration for other people are constantly on her lips and will have given you the best possible start in life to becoming the wonderful people you will inevitably grow up to be.

She is utterly generous with her time – and a proactive and supportive friend – turning up to help out when I had hurt my leg and being one of the few people I would leave my small babies with and not worry.

She is utterly dedicated to you both – in every fibre of her being. She chose not to return to her work but to spend as much time as she could with you both when you were small. A decision no one could ever have predicted would have been so important.

I am here to talk to you whenever and however you need. Your mummy is a glorious friend, a fantastic wife to your daddy, and someone who has made such a positive impact on us all.

Jen

I just want to share this with you. X

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-OHmHzDymw&feature=youtube_gdata_player

“Lou…What are you doing?”
“Nothing”
“Come round”
“But it’s cold”
“Oh come on”
“Have you got biscuits?”
“Yep”
“I’ll be five minutes”

Of all our little escapades my favourite times with Charlotte was on her sofa in Moseley Gate, drinking tea and eating biscuits. We didn’t have to talk about anything much and at other times we didn’t stop for breath. We laughed so much in that living room, we cried a bit too, I tickled Otis for the first time in that living room and then I had the honour of holding a newly born Seb in that living room….. I had complete meltdowns in that living room and I also performed a rather special version of ‘My Humps’ by The Black Eyed Peas which until this day is one of Charlottes favourite highlights of our friendship. Needless to say I had had a few wines! (‘Check it out!’)

Oh yes we had fun…. : ) Charlotte would mediate between Chris and myself as we purposefully wound each other up, “Chris, leave her alone!” I was the little sister and Charlotte my rock…. my little anchor. Ha, I say ‘little sister’ but I’m seven years older!

It’s funny how relationships evolve. We have known each other maybe only ten or eleven years but Charlotte became so blummin important to me. More recently the physical distance between us has made it difficult for us to see each other often and our lives have taken different paths but you know when you have an amazing friendship, when non of that matters and when you do speak or see each other you just pick right up from where you left off.

I was troubled last Summer and had spent weeks worrying and stressing about something. I remember walking through Clapham Common feeling down and confused and suddenly I knew what to do. I sat down on a park bench and phoned Charlotte. She picked up! Was in the car with the kids doing the Supermarket shop and immediately my shoulders relaxed and my stress ebbed away….. I had connected with my soul mate. She knew immediately there was something wrong and opened herself up to me after politely reminding me the kids were in the car, I was on hands free and not to swear : )

Charlotte and I drove to Wales once and camped out in a real Tipi. We had no idea what we were doing! We made a fire and the whole tipi filled with smoke and I remember us crouching down low to get some air. All of our clothes and blankets stank of smoke. Then it started raining …. really badly and we had to try and arrange the tipi pole to close the top but we couldn’t remember what the man had said and had an awful job trying to protect ourselves from the dreadful weather. Eventually we managed to snuggle into our smoke stinking sleeping bags and exhausted I felt myself dropping off to sleep….. only to be woken by a little voice “are you awake?”
“I am now”
“it’s raining on my head”

Charlotte is so part of my life that her opinion means everything to me and she’s the one who usually steers me in the right direction every time.

When I met my now fiancé Rob, I explained to him that we would have to drive all the way to Portishead for ‘boyfriend approval’ before our relationship could develop further. I remember being so excited phoning her and excitedly announcing that “I think you will like this one. He’s a Libra like you and Chris…. just what I need to balance me out!”

I have one of her paintings that she kindly gave to me some time a go and that I adore. I’m a bit of a gypsy and move around a lot dragging my Charlotte Latham from pillar to post where ever I go. When she see’s it she winces at the sight of it’s well worn appearance, I think someone else in a previous post mentioned her wonderful disapproving stare. So every now and then I get the rubber out and do my best to restore it…. it’s exhausting! I cherish that painting, it’s not well worn – it’s well loved.

…..And to think it all started at an interview. Yes, Charlotte interviewed me for a position at The Artlounge. She actually phoned me to apologise that I hadn’t got the job and although I was her first choice I wasn’t the bosses. Then there was a second call a little while later, much to Charlotte’s jubilation it hadn’t worked out with the first choice so would I like the job? I thought, mmmmmmm she’s a bit off the wall but I kind of like that and so I accepted and our friendship began. As it turned out I was rubbish at the job but that didn’t really matter in the grand scale of things!

I love Charlotte for so many reasons. I love her for her natural beauty, honesty and straight talking. I admire her for her passion and dedication to her art. She has a strong aura that is genuine and really glows brightly especially when she is around the people and things that fuel her spirit….. her husband Chris who she worships and her two adorable children Seb and Olivia.

Thank you Charlotte for giving me the job, not the Artlounge one but the position of being your friend and friendships like ours last forever….. and ever and ever…. and ever.

Chip Feeds The Ducks

Dear Seb and Olivia,

I met your mum just before you were both born. In 2006 we both rented an artist’s studio at The Custard Factory in Birmingham. Our studios turned out to be opposite each other and it was there, in a dusty corridor in an old Bird’s custard factory that I first said hello to Charlotte. We instantly made friends and I truly believe that it was fate that we found each other because I think we both needed a friend at the time. Sometimes being an artist can be quite a lonely occupation! Having Charlotte there every day really brightened up my days and made the world of difference. I know that at the time your mum was a bit sad because she wasn’t pregnant with you yet and she very desperately wanted you!

So, during our time at the factory, Charlotte and I had some absolutely wonderful times together. I quickly realized how special she is, as some other friends have already mentioned, your mum is so beautifully real and honest. You can always ask for her opinion knowing that her answer will come from a place of love and care. We shared many of our deepest feelings and had so many laughs together, I felt as though I had met a true friend and a kindred spirit. Charlotte’s paintings inspired me hugely and she gave me so much encouragement with my own work – I still think of her advice and helpful words when I attempt a painting and every time I draw a tree I will think of her! However, our friendship only began at work… We had both taken on a studio in the hope of doing more work and being more artistically ‘focussed’ but I think your mum will agree, there was more fun happening than work during that time…We started to have some wonderful lunches together and some incredibly long tea breaks because we were chatting so much! Then we started wandering into town to do some Very Important Shopping and then we started to get our hair cut together and we introduced each other to our other friends. We went out for wine and dinner, we sang on your mum and dad’s Karaoke machine. We played with Otis your cat and Odie my dog. We even attempted to cycle to work one day through Digbeth but I believe that we were both a bit terrified and it only happened once. After that your mum started to pick me up in her car to get to work and I remember us singing along to Annie Lennox, Sweet Dreams rather loudly 🙂

The films below were taken a few weeks after you were born Seb. It was so wonderful to meet you on that day and celebrate your birth with your mum. I know how happy she was when she knew she was having you. We called you Chip when you were in your mum’s tummy and so you will always be Chip to me! This may have been the first time you had ever fed the ducks but sadly you were fast asleep so we had to throw the bread for you! It’s tiring being born I expect (I can’t remember). The man pulling a funny face is Andy Reid, a good friend of your mum’s and now good friend of mine too thanks to your mum introducing us.

I love you Charlotte, thank you for being such a wonderful friend, full of patience and fun xxx

Charlotte Marsden burst into my life in early 2008. So did you Seb in a way, you see we were pregnant together. From that first meeting your mum constantly made me laugh.
I remember thinking how stunning she was too, with her beautiful blue eyes.

When you were first born Seb, Darcy and I would meet you and your mum and go to the park or out for lunch or for a long walk – they were very happy days.

Not too long after, you moved to Bristol. It didn’t stop us though, we would take it in turns to visit. Your mum always threw Halloween parties – which we never missed! She always threw wonderful birthday parties too. Our favourite was the Octonauts party. You stipulated who had to come to your party dressed as what. You said Darcy had to come as Twink. Well, being a stroppy 3 year old girl, she point blank refused. I was so cross with her. It didn’t stop you all though. You all had a wail of a time. Your mum led you all on a treasure hunt of the garden. She was so good at it, I wanted to join in! Very happy days.

And Liv, I will never forget the early morning phone call to tell me you were expected. We were all so excited! Your mum called me and left me a message to say she was pregnant with you. I called back and got your mum’s voicemail. Your mum then called again and I missed it!!! Arghhhhhhhh! I eventually got hold of your mum in Waitrose, to be told “hold on a minute, I’ll call you when I get back to the car.” I was just desperate to tell her how pleased I was!!!

And then you arrived Liv. I remember seeing you always strapped to your mummy’s front as you didn’t want to be put down. Darcy had been exactly the same! I think this was some comfort to your mum. Girls! We just want to be held and close…
I watch your mum with you two and hope that I shine the way she does. Her love and devotion to you both is unmistakable….

We used to joke about your mum being neurotic when it came to both of you – to me I realise it’s just another word for love, devotion, care, adoration…

Seb, Liv, I could go on and on about your mum and never tire. She is everything – my friend and the sister I craved. I have never felt awkward or stuck for something to say in her presence. We have shared so much laughter and some tears too. That’s friends. She can walk in a room and it brightens with her smile. She is just so easy to be with…

I will sit and chat to you both as much as you like about your mum and I will never run out of things to say…

I have two of your mum’s pictures on my wall at home… if you ever want to come and admire them, feel free. They are my little bit of Charlotte. But I will share them with you…

Always here for you Chris, Seb and Liv…

Charlotte, I love you and will always be here for your family and keep your memory alive…

Jilly, Robert and Darcy x x x

Ahh Charlotte, there are so many words I could use to describe her. She’s a straight talker, an open listener, encouraging and demanding, she has an infectious enthusiasm for art, a roaring ambition, and an intense love for her family. Also, like all great women she understands the importance of shoes and a well defined eyebrow.

Our friendship started while exhibiting at a London show, both with bright eyes we were willing to succeed and not waste this opportunity. We both did OK considering our other common interest, our respective partners Chris and Toby who teamed up and sniffed out the local pub for a well earned art break. So with Charlotte and I having a huge love of art and Chris and Toby having a huge love of bicycles our friendship was cemented.

Charlotte has immaculate taste and she expresses this so well in the her home. My family have always been welcomed with such warmth into Chez Marsden even when we leave red wine stains on the ceiling and children’s vomit on the cream carpet.

Last year our families had a few days away in Charlotte’s favourite playground – Saunton Sands. We had great fun running up and rolling down the sand dunes, chatting on the beach and even famous photographer spotting. Looking back at the photos it was wonderful to see Seb exhibiting Charlotte’s qualities as he put his arm around Agnes while pointing out to sea and explaining something to her.  Let’s just say Seb and Olivia you have great genes and you will be kept so warm and safe with all this love around you.

All our love
Clair, Toby, Agnes and Bob xxxx