{"id":351384,"date":"2021-10-16T13:01:49","date_gmt":"2021-10-16T13:01:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thecanary.co\/?p=1493481"},"modified":"2021-10-16T13:01:49","modified_gmt":"2021-10-16T13:01:49","slug":"murdered-mp-remembered-as-mr-southend-at-vigil-in-his-memory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2021\/10\/16\/murdered-mp-remembered-as-mr-southend-at-vigil-in-his-memory\/","title":{"rendered":"Murdered MP remembered as \u2018Mr Southend\u2019 at vigil in his memory"},"content":{"rendered":"
Sir David Amess has been remembered as \u201cMr Southend\u201d at a vigil held in his memory.<\/p>\n
Born in east London, the 69-year-old had been Southend West MP since 1997 \u2013 and was a keen advocate of the town\u2019s bid for city status.<\/p>\n
A service at Saint Peter\u2019s Church in Eastwood Lane, close to where Amess was killed, was held on Friday evening to remember him \u2013 where he was described by a priest as \u201cMr Southend\u201d.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nPeople attend a Catholic mass at St Peter\u2019s church in Eastwood (Nick Ansell\/PA)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
<\/p>\n
The church fell silent as Father Jeffrey Woolnaugh paid tribute to the Conservative MP and invited his constituents to remember him.<\/p>\n
He placed a photograph of Amess at the front of the church, and said:<\/p>\n
This liturgy is one I was not expecting to lead today.<\/p>\n
The whole world grieves. In this Mass we pray for the repose of the soul of dear David.<\/p>\n
Have you ever known Sir David Amess without that happy smile on his face? Because the greeting he would always give you was that happy smile.<\/p>\n
He carried that great east London spirit of having no fear and being able to talk to people and the level they\u2019re at. Not all politicians, I would say, are good at that.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
<\/p>\nA photograph of Sir David Amess in St Peter\u2019s church in Eastwood (Nick Ansell\/PA)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
<\/p>\n
Vigil<\/h5>\n
Around 80 people attended the service and listened as Father Woolnough recounted his own memories of Amess.<\/p>\n
He said:<\/p>\n
When you can speak to your MP and you can talk and get on like a house on fire, that\u2019s when you can talk to them later about things that are important to your area.<\/p>\n
What can we say? He died doing the thing he loved, meeting his constituents, his local people.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Father Woolnough added that his constituents could \u201ccount on\u201d Sir David, and said:<\/p>\n
He was always available. We don\u2019t have the words tonight.<\/p>\n
Dear Sir David, rest well.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Those who attended the vigil were invited to light a candle and share their own memories of Amess. A lone candle placed outside the church burned as the Tory MP\u2019s constituents remembered him.<\/p>\n
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