Christine started full time work on leaving school aged 15 at Wharfe Mill, Sowerby Bridge as a Cone Winder. She has had jobs subsequently at Berry Mills, Barkisland. Close Lee Home for children with phycological problems and, Broom Close Home with adults with learning disabilities, both in Rastrick, for Calderdale Council Social Services. Landlady of Dusty Miller, Hove Edge, Brighouse public house. For the last 14 years at Sainsburys, Brighouse. Apart from a pregnancy a continuous working life of fifty-two years. Retired 2019.
I truly am in awe of her.

Tragedy

After a short illness Christine died on Saturday 25th May 2024 from bronchopneumonia.

Funeral of Christine Hartshorn Wed 12th June 2024

Words of Celebrant Chris Berry

Welcome
Good afternoon and welcome. On behalf of Adrian and the family, thank you for
being here for this ceremony and joining together here today to pay your
respects, and to bid farewell to Christine. I am Chris Berry, a Funeral Celebrant,
and I am honoured to be leading today’s ceremony.
Today we will honour and celebrate the life of Christine Hartshorn, very much
loved wife of Adrian, mother to Samantha, step mum to Gaynor and Deborah,
precious grandmother to Savannah, Emma, Chelsie and Kyzer, great
grandmother to Imogen, Luella, Freya and Elliott.
Our ceremony today has been planned with much love by Adrian, and everything
said today comes from him.
Today is a celebration of the full, happy and very rewarding life that Christine
led, a life led in the loving company of her beloved husband Adrian and their
extended family.
As you will discover, Christine and Adrian had such a good marriage. They spent
so much of their time in each other’s company. They had many common interests
and did everything together. They were two halves of the same whole I think.
And Adrian’s love for his wife is so clear when you talk to him, such a gentle
smile when he remembers her, and so much love on his voice. I know Adrian
misses Christine very much but there was much laughter too as Adrian recalled
his memories for us.. They had a perfect life together.
Throughout their marriage together, as you’re about to discover, Christine and
Adrian were there for each other, to support each other, and how lucky they
were that they found each other later in their lives, as you will learn from our
tribute in a moment.
If you are lucky, you know the happiness of spending a marriage together in the
company of the one you love, always having someone to turn to, knowing there is
always that one person there to share the bad times as well as the good, knowing
there is one person who will always be with you, and that’s what Christine and
Adrian were lucky enough to share.
In a moment, we are going to hear about some of the good times this very loving
couple shared, of which there were many.
Christine and Adrian seemed to have struck that perfect balance in their lives, of
making time for each other and enjoying time with friends too. No wonder their
lives were so fulfilled. I’m sure they endured difficult times as most folk do, but
they possessed an outlook and determination that I’m sure enabled them to
overcome many of life’s hurdles.
Well, you don’t need me to tell you that Christine and Adrian were such people,
and as much as it is a sad day today because we are saying goodbye to Christine,
we’re going to make sure we do it with a laugh and a smile, because that’s how
she lived every day of her life and that is surely how she should – and how she would want – to be remembered. With love and laughter. Try not to disappoint
her.
A very kind person, and someone who was very much loved by everyone she
knew.
I know you miss her terribly. Christine was a good lady, so warm hearted and
friendly, but how lucky you are to have so many good memories to look back on.
As it is sad that Christine has gone, it is important that you remember the life
that she loved, the loving times she had with you all, and the great times she
enjoyed with Adrian, and today I think you’re going to hear what is, in part, the
love story of these two lovely people.
So let us begin our remembrance of this outgoing and very much loved wife and
grandmother, great grandmother and of course, friend of many.
I know you grieve, but how lucky you are to have known this fine lady and to
have her as part of your family. I hope you can find some solace in that thought.
It is in your memories where Christine will live now, so make sure you visit those
memories often, and keep her memory, and her spirit alive.
After our service, you will see a donation box as you leave the chapel, and you
are asked to make a donation, should you wish, in Christine’s memory to the
RSPCA.
You will be pleased to know that your farewell to Christine will not end in this
chapel, and after our service you are invited to remember Christine in good and
loving company at The Guide Post.
The purpose of such a gathering is for everyone who knew Christine to share
their memories of her. You see, today is about all of you also, about your grief,
and the beginning of your journey to overcome it, and the best way to do that is
to share your memories of her. Such stories can mark the beginning of our
healing, so I hope you can all take that time today to share your memories of
Christine, and of course, to honour hers.
The family very much hopes you can join them.
Christine was a very happy and contented person, she was fulfilled and she
enjoyed her life, with her family and friends and her true companion, Adrian. It
was on the 25 th of May that Christine passed away suddenly at home. Christine
lived to be 71 years of age. I hope you can be assured that she is at peace, and
that you can find some comfort in that thought.…
Christine’s Story
The story you are about to hear is one of a very idyllic life I think, and by that I
don’t mean it was a life of leisure. Christine, and Adrian, certainly worked hard,
but Christine was surrounded by the love of her family, and of course the love of
her beloved husband, Adrian. These two loved each other very much, and were
rarely apart.
I will now share Christine’s story as taken from Adrian’s and their family’s
memories of her, and it is the story of a vibrant and very outgoing and very much
loved wife and mother, and ‘Christine the Legend’, but we’ll come to that later.
We often say that when two people meet and fall on love that their loves changed
forever. Well, for Christine I thin that is literally true. She not only met her true
love when she met Adrian; they enjoyed a truly fantastic life together, as we will
discover.
Christine was born to parents Reg, a coach driver and Jackie, a mill worker, on
the 26 th of May 1951 at Halifax Infirmary.
She grew up in Sowerby but rarely talked about her childhood. We know it
wasn’t a happy one although she did enjoy school. She was a very popular girl
and Christine’s favourite subject was art, and would have loved to study art at
college. However outside school she had to look after her siblings, and this
continued when she left at 15 to start work in the local mill.
Perhaps as an escape from wheat she saw as a mundane life she met Willy and
was soon married at 16, having her daughter Samantha at 17.
Christine and Willy remained married until 1983, and at 33, single and with a
teenage daughter, Christine decided to try a dating agent, and little did she know
it at the time but it was the best decision she could have made… These are
Adrian’s words by the way! When it came to ticking the preference boxes,
Christine went for a mature man aged 40 to 50… well, they got the age right
anyway! I’m joking!
Anyway, after a few dates she was set up with Adrian. Now, this was before the
era of ‘swipe left’ and messaging. In those days you telephoned, and so Christine
left a message on Adrian’s answerphone and a date was arranged. When he
arrived to pick Christine up, Samantha was waiting with her mum. Christine
whispered ‘What do you think?’ and Samantha fortunately nodded her seal of
approval.
Adrian still remembers the date of their first date: the 16 th of March 1985. They
went to Shears pub and a couple of others, and he also remembered his date
being quite an expensive girl after he asked what she would like to drink, and
Christine replied ‘Rum and Coke’! However they had a great night and Christine
thought at the time, ‘I hope he takes me out again’ which of course Adrian did. Romance blossomed as they say, and Christine and Adrian were engaged exactly
two months after their first date on the 16 th of May. Exactly three months after
that, Christine and Adrian were married on the 16 th of August 1985 at Halifax
Register Office, and the newly weds enjoyed a fabulous three-week honeymoon
on Australia, staying with Adrian’s cousin Pam at her ranch in Windsor in New
South Wales.
They settled down to married life in their first home together in Brighouse
before moving to Sunnydale Avenue.
Christine was still working at Berry Brow Mill but Adrian tells us she took a year
out, and they had a fabulous time going to see musicals such as South Pacific,
West Side Story and Phantom of the Opera. They went so often Christine even
had her favourite seat at the Bradford Alhambra. They went o concerts to see
their favourite singers like Tom Jones, Michael Jackson, Cher and Dolly Parton.
The fun didn’t stop there as Christine and Adrian enjoyed lovely holidays over
the years too, taking in cruises to the Caribbean and their favourite holiday spot,
Benidorm.
Their lives were about to change again in 1997 when Adrian received his
retirement package and decided he quite fancied running a pub, and without
barely a pause he bought the Dusty Miller at Hove Edge and he and Christine
found themselves as landlord and landlady. Adrian came up with the idea after
looking after a friend’s pub in the dales, and he and Christine even had their own
throne chairs in the bar! The pub became famous for its karaoke nights where
Christine would sing her signature tunes, Elvis’s Return to Sender and Tina’s
Simply The Best.
Te pub also had… well Adrian calls it an open all hours policy. I think we’d call it
a lock-in and the local police called it breaking the licensing laws, but it was
actually cheaper for Adrian to go to court and pay the £300 fine out of the
evening’s takings.
Christine and Adrian kept the pub until 2002 and downsized to a house in
Rastrick. Christine then had a number of jobs, including working for Calderdale
Council as a home help, and she eventually settled at Sainsbury’s working on the
checkout until her retirement in 2020.
She and Adrian enjoyed a grand social life, meeting up with friends at the pub in
Rastrick, and they still enjoyed going to shows and concerts. Then the
grandchildren arrived and they enjoyed so many good times with them too.
It was when they were coming home from a visit to the grandchildren that
Christine suddenly felt very unwell the following day.
Visits to the doctors followed where nothing out of the ordinary was diagnosed,
but Christine knew that she didn’t feel right. She suddenly took a turn for the
worst, and she passed away just before the ambulance arrived.
Her passing had come out of the blue, Adrian tells us, through bronchial
pneumonia. There were no obvious symptoms, and it was a complete shock.
Christine always told Adrian that she wanted to go first, and she got her wish.
She also said that she didn’t want a fancy do, but I’m afraid that’s tough!
She loved her soaps and her gossip columns and Christine had another favourite
singer, Peter Andre, and when she found out he was coming to St George’s Hall
next year, there was only one problem: the date clashed with Hamilton the
musical, so the date to see Hamilton had to be changed, at the cost of £40 says
Adrian!
Christine was always fabulously turned out. Leopard print of course was her
favourite theme, from her shoes to her bed head, and Adrian tells us, hair and
nails always immaculate and it sounds like they had to be, if only for Christine’s
appearances on Tik Tok!
I mentioned earlier that she was a Tik Tok legend, and these aren’t my words but
how she is actually known on Tik Tok, thanks to once user who came across a
video Adrian had posted. It was filmed in 1997 on one of his and Christine’s
many visits to Benidorm, and if you haven’t seen it, you can access it through
Adrian’s website: Adrianhartshorn.com.
In Adrian’s own words, ‘During a regular trip to her manicurist Kihly. Christine
was asked have you seen the TikTok video about you. Not having TikTok on her
phone Christine said no. Kihly then showed her the video. Christine was amazed.
On getting home she told me all about it. I was similarly gob-smacked.’
Adrian tells us there were streams of comments about the video, which shows
Christine on their balcony in Benidorm answering Adrian’s questions about what
an exciting time they’ve had in Benidorm… in the most unexcited voice
imaginable!
The Tik Tok maker obviously found this hilarious. Adrain continues:
‘Evidently what had happened was a seemingly professional TikTok video
segment maker had found a couple of my YouTube videos and taken segments
from them to make a funny segment. See the video and enjoy. Christine and
Adrian have!’
Adrian says with a gentle smile that Christine died happy after a good life
And so I leave the last words to Christine when Adrian asks her on the video
what she got up to last night.
She says with a dead serious expression straight into the camera… ‘I don’t
remember much.’
Words of Comfort
A good life, an enjoyable and contented life, filled with love and spent in the
privileged company of her family and friends and her beloved Adrian.
Memories and Reflection
Soon we say goodbye to Christine, but first we are going to listen to a special
song and I’m sure you’ll be familiar with the singer! This is your opportunity bid her farewell in your own private way. Value this time, remember it, and most
of all, treasure it.
Music: Mysterious Girl – Peter Andre
Please stand if you’re able, as we bid Christine farewell.
Farewell
As we bid farewell to Christine, it is comforting to know that she leaves us as she
lived, in the company of family and friends, who cared for her and loved her for
the person she was. She does not leave this world alone, but in the company of
those who knew her so well, and loved her so richly. Today, all of you here in this
chapel will never be without her, for she will always live in your hearts from this
day forward, when you take care to remember her, with your affection and your
love. Our thoughts and our hearts go to her husband Adrian and their family who
will miss her terribly, but who is to be thanked for the service that has been
created in her honour to day. We leave Christine Hartshorn in peace now, in
honour of a life so well lived.
Please be seated.
Closing words
Well, what a lovely, loving and fulfilled life we have remembered today.
We would all count ourselves fortunate to have lived such a life as Christine’s.
She was a lady, I think, who was very much at peace with the world and her place
within it.
And aren’t you all fortunate also to have been a apart of such a life, and to have
been loved and appreciated by such a caring and gentle soul.
From what I have learned of her, Christine seemed to love and appreciate every
day of her life, and everybody she had in her life, too.
She and Adrian were lucky to never encounter any major upset in their lives.
Their life together I think you’ll agree, was charmed.
Christine and Adrian valued every day they had together, a couple who loved
each other so deeply.
The secret of their marriage I think was that they enjoyed so many of the same
things. How lucky they were to have found each other. Isn’t life wonderful when
such things occur. I know you miss Christine terribly, and it might be hard to imagine your lives
going on without this loving and adored lady being a part of your life from now
on, but you do have the comfort and warmth of beautiful memories.
They are what we spend our lives creating so that we can look back with love
and fondness and be able to say, ‘I was there’ or ‘that time happened because of
me.’
Memories are also what we create and leave behind for others to enjoy when we
are gone, and Christine had left so many good memories for you to enjoy and
remember her by.
Through those memories, remember the love she had for you.
I leave you know with one of Christine’s favourite karaoke pieces…
Music as we leave: Simply the Best – Tina Turner
Below is the letter I sent to Countrywide Introductions. A dating agency. It was forwarded to Christine, she phoned me to arrange a date and the rest is history.