ben's interweb

Dear Friend of Ben,

At Ben’s Wake (the event we held down in Cot Valley on the day after Ben’s funeral, in the evening) several people agreed with me that it would be good to hold something in a year’s time, partly because some of Ben’s closest friends and family couldn’t come to the first Wake, but also to share time again with so many lovely people who loved Ben.

Since then I have been telling anyone who would listen that I would like to do a ‘reWake’ on the weekend of 16-19 June 2023 (the weekend before mid-summer, to avoid Glasto and Mazey Day). I also thought it would be good, if the Bristol Diving School were going to put on an exhibition in relation to Ben in Bristol, it could be at around the same time – people travelling to Cornwall could possibly take Bristol in on the way (although this may not happen so soon as June this year). Maybe we could pull together some things of Ben’s to display at Phoenix Barn (and possibly at Lorraine’s place) over the weekend as well … so it would sort of be

I have pulled together as many contact details as I could to distribute notice of this event directly to Ben’s friends (please do pass it on to anyone who has not had the email). Maybe closer to the date, we will put something out on social media, but this is your official notice that there will definitely be a party for Ben, down Cot, on Saturday 17th June 2023.  As last year, there will be space in Phoenix Barn and at Jenny’s for people to stay, and in my garden for vans and tents. I do hope you will be able to come and channel Ben through a gathering of the people he loved and who loved him.

¡Que haya luz! Kerenza ha yeghes da! Dad/Grandpa/Andrew x

[Ed: I have already had several positive responses to this email, including, possibly, something from Mexico to be read out for Ben...
... if anyone has anything they would like to say, have read out, any music they would like us to play - we have both the tracks Paul B gathered for us for last year, and Ben's raps (see https://www.benmarshallcorser.com/BensMusic/) - but anything you would like to add to the event would be great!
...other thoughts for the weekend might be tea at the burial ground, and/or a visit to Boscawen Un...]

[Ed: Luke emailed:]

Hi Andrew,

I don't mind performing Tombstone again for all that haven't seen it yet, so that Ben's personhood can be shared amongst those at the ReWake.

As I say, I think it is unlikely BDS will pull something off for June.

I would like to organise a picnic for the graveside, which was a Roman tradition, with some artefacts of this practice carried out during the Roman occupation of ancient British Isles still cropping up now. They would lay the dead in their graves with a pipe which would protrude out of the ground, allowing visitors to the grave to pour wine down into the grave for the deceased to consume. I think Ben would have liked that a lot.

What would Ben say, if we told him how hard it has been to lose him, how painful it is to realise he is gone. XXXX

[Ed: another email from me with a bit more about the reWake weekend...]

A bit more on Ben's reWake (and thanks to all those who have responded).

We will be doing at least two 'things' over the weekend:
    - Saturday 17th June 2023, in the evening, say 6 pm onwards: reWake with some food, drink, music and conversation; Cot Valley (Porth Nanven on OS maps) - in the barbecue spot. There will be some sort of 'sound system' on which people can share suitable music...I will have some of Ben's raps etc


(NB the new handrail on the bridge, kindly provided by the National Trust just after the Wake last year!)

    - Sunday 18th June 2023 lunchtime, say 12 noon onwards tea around Ben's grave at the Burial Ground (see maps)

I'm afraid I have failed to implement the planned doors adorned with Ben's runes across my garage

(where many of Ben's things are stored) in time, but I will tidy up a bit in there, and attempt to display some of Ben's work, to supplement what is up on the walls in Phoenix Barn. However, it will also be open house at Phoenix Barn all weekend: vans, tents and people staying in the house, as well as visitors, are all welcome. This is when I would like to remember and celebrate Ben, a year on from when we first did so.

For your information, I will be going away beforehand, on the actual anniversary of Ben's killing - 2 am, 25th May, BST - to be on my own for that appalling anniversary.

¡Que haya luz! Kerenza ha yeghes da!
Dad/Grandpa/Andrew xxx