Alice Rose O'Connell (26 May 1988 - 31 Mar 2026)

I can't believe that I have had to say goodbye to you Alice, it just doesn't feel real. You were a great work colleague and a friend and I loved how you tackled and weathered every storm that came your way. Your love for your family, Violet and Fred was immeasurable and I loved to hear stories and see photos of your escapades as they were growing up. I am sure your legacy will live long in them.

You really have gone too soon and I hope now that you will be at peace. With all my love Sarah M xx

Alice, how do I say goodbye to someone taken far too soon? At 37 years old, your life ended before it ever should have, and the sadness left behind is so hard to put into words. You were so much more than a work friend to me, over time, you became like a daughter in my heart and losing you felt so very hard. You had the kindest soul, even through the troubles you carried, there was always a softness you carried. You loved the natural world, but above all else you loved your children and family. I hope you realise how much you were loved, I will carry your memory with me always, you were loved and you will never be forgotten rest in peace lovely Alice ❤️

Gone far too soon. RIP. Bracewell family

A light has gone out in their family.
Skeffy.

To My Alice in Wonderland,

Many unspoken words that should have seen the light of day must now sit within my heart until we meet again. I couldn’t find the right way to arrange them then, to tell you that even when the path grew strange, it was never a reflection of my love for you.

I will forever hold the image of you, transfiguring a simple garden into a private Wonderland. I see Barry McBarrison, that sharp-eyed squirrel, keeping watch from the bird feeder as you coaxed the magical from the mundane. I’ll remember how your mind breathed life into every twitch of his tail, even as you kept a tender watch over the garden floor. 

You gathered every fallen leaf and scattered bloom with a curator’s heart, arranging them in vase after vase until the room breathed with you. In your hands, even the smallest weeds found their place of honour; to you, no fragment of natural beauty was ever a waste. You noticed the impossible things, the way the garden nodded when you laughed, and you made sure I noticed them, too.

Tonight, I am lighting a Neom candle, because it’s only the best for the best. As the flame flickers, I’ll think of you and Barry McB beginning your new adventures, leaving the world a little warmer than you found it.

Rest easy Alice, I'll look for you in every bird, bee, dragonfly, and skylark along the way. I’ll love you forever xx