Shirley will always hold a very special place in my heart. We had a bond that was beautiful, an understanding that I feel so lucky to of been part of. Fly high with the angels…..rip special lady lots of love xx ❤️

By fortunate, coincidence we saw the notice in the newspaper last week. As a young psychiatrist in Oxford in the late 1970s and early 1980s, I knew both Shirley and Peter well. My mental handicap (for such it was called at the time)attachment was at Borocourt for six months. There I worked for Shirley Abell and I came to appreciate her visionary and thoughtful approach. I also trained at the Institute of Group Analysis in London, and Peter supervised the outpatient group that I ran together with a co-therapist. This involved regular visits to his family home in Oxford. Peter had what would now be called a “portfolio career”(one I have followed too) and I recall that he had no time for the petty politics of Academic psychiatry. His knowledgeable and commonsense approach seemed to me very sensible and I learned a great deal from him. They seemed to me a charmed couple; I must have got to know them very well as we borrowed their VW campervan to attend the Bath festival in 1980, when Ann was heavily pregnant with our first daughter. In 1984 we moved north, bought our own VW campervan and sadly lost touch with Peter and Shirley following our move and as a result of the competing demands of a busy job , a young family, and a new home. Nevertheless, I count myself very fortunate to have known them both, learned a lot from each of them and I am sorry that MS prevents me from travelling to Oxford later this week. However we shall be raising a toast at 11 o’clock on the 30th and will not forget their goodheartedness and sensible approach. RIP Shirley and Peter. Dr Steve & Ann McKeown

Deepest sympathies from all of us at SeeSaw to all family members and friends of Shirley and Peter affected by their sad loss.