It’s really difficult to sum up how I feel about Allie - my friend of nearly 12 years, neighbour and former childminder to my daughter. Allie was a force of nature – sweet, with a slightly cheeky sense of fun and a fighter against the odds. She had a knack of being surprisingly 'persuasive' - just a certain coy look and she would get help changing a lightbulb or somehow emerge from a shop with free chocolate. She even managed to get table service in a self-service cafe and I'll never quite know how she did that! Allie loved spending time with children and had an impressive ability to get on their wavelength. She led by example and taught them how to do flips in the playground by putting on her own amazing gymnastic performance. She was full of encouragement and promoted a 'can do' attitude. I really miss Allie and so many little things make me think of her - I can't see a bar of galaxy chocolate without thinking of her or make a hot chocolate without knowing I'm clearly doing it wrong because there's not enough milk in it. And then there's the lovely card she made me for my birthday in December - that will always have a place in my drawer of special things. Michelle xxx