Hannah was my friend. I don’t remember meeting her. She was just there. But I do remember the first time I realized she was my friend. I walked into the Harp and saw her behind the bar as she was already working the daytime shift. She saw me and made a ridiculously cartoonish manically excited expression. I laughed and said, ‘what’s with the face?’ she gave me a hug and replied, ‘I’m just happy to see you’ Hannah had the best hugs. She was soft and squishy and hugging her was like hugging a marshmallow Teddy bear. I only knew Hannah a few years, but together we explored all the Mexican, coffee and burger joints Covent Garden had to offer. The last time she was at my house was for Mexican food and Magic Mike Night with Liz. They are both a good bit younger than me and I had a good time pausing the movie every 5 minutes to explain the ways of the adult world to them. Hannah finally said, ‘ you must think I’m just the silliest’ to which I said, ‘I think of you like my little sister’ her face visibly dropped as she said, ‘oh’ to which I explained, ‘you don’t know my little sister. She’s my best friend.’ She perked up considerably and gave me a squishy hug. Hannah was always so open, so loving, so ready to jump in and express herself through song. She didn’t hide what she was thinking or feeling and wore her heart on her sleeve for all to see. People gravitated to her. Everyone loved her and wanted to be around her because being with her meant endless laughs and goofy smiles. One of the last conversations I had with Hannah was through text. I was trying to find out if she was going to a party because I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go. She wasn’t going so I immediately started to think of how I would back out of it but her last message to me was, ‘oh god you should go!! You’ll have such a good time!’ We had seen a lot of changes in Hannah in her last year –the best being her capacity to dive in and have the best time of her life –all the time. She didn’t put things off. Let’s go today –have an amazing time today. I came across her plan for 2015 quite by chance when we were at her flat in February. It was a flow chart for happiness titled something along the lines of ‘how to be happy’. It included eating healthy, exercising more and spending more time with her friends. She didn’t have 12 months for this resolution but I can safely say her goals for 2015 were achieved in 3. She was an inspiration. She had a calm polite professional manner behind the bar that I could never achieve. And she had a love for life I admired but never fully realized. I am always in the doorway of a decision deciding whether or not I’ll walk through. I’d talked about leaving the Harp for years, and changing my hair, taking a trip, making a change –never fully committing to making a decision. Her final advice to me as I stand in a doorway is, ‘oh my god- go! You’ll have such a good time!’ She was a beautiful example of life, love, joy, kindness and most of all laughter. When I think of Hannah I think of so many laughs that were had. Life is too short to not embrace the opportunities and laughs and the good times. Less than a week before I got that call I cancelled some plans we had made. I was feeling tired and lazy. She was disappointed but replied, ‘never mind- to next week!’ we’ll never have that next week and I’ll never stop regretting not taking that opportunity. No more standing in doorways. No more wasting time with decisions about whether or not to live your life. For me I’ll always have that memory of Hannah giving me a push and saying, ‘Oh god –GO! You’ll have such an amazing time’

I didn't know Hannah very well but I remember her lovely cheery smile and her friendliness. We're thinking of you all and sending our very best wishes. With love from Jean, Fitz and the girls

I did not know Hannah, but working at the College, I have heard so many staff members say so many positive things about this dear girl. As Tim said in his email to the College, there will always be a Hannah-shaped hole left in their lives, I just hope that your obvious deep devotion to each other carries you through this time. Please let us know if there is anything we can do.