30th November 1970 – 18th May 2025
It was so sad to announce the passing of Melia who had been Bosom Pals’ treasurer since 2017 and had passed away from a stroke. Melia joined Bosom Pals in April 2013 and became a valued member of the team. We asked her friend Helen, who Melia had recommended for our first aid training, to say a few words about her. Below is her touching tribute.
Melia will be missed by everyone who knew her.
By Helen Bell-Day
Melia was an amazing person to know. Anyone who met her would say she shone—always with a smile, and a glint of that wicked hu-mour bubbling just beneath the surface.
She was kind and thoughtful, the sort of person who would be there for you in a flash if you needed her. Even in the face of adversity, Melia met life with grace and grit—always with that same smile, unwavering and bright.
She had a way of making everyone feel seen and heard. Whether it was a quiet cup of coffee and a chat on a bad day, or a sarcastic joke that cracked through your gloom, Melia just got it. She knew when to listen and when to make you laugh—often both at once.
She was fiercely loyal too. Once you were in her circle, you were in. She would back you up, fight for you, and make you feel like you mattered. That kind of loyalty and love doesn’t come around often.
Melia lit up rooms with her laughter and her energy. She made life a little warmer, a little weirder (in the best way), and a whole lot brighter. We were lucky to know her. And while she’s no longer here in person, her warmth, humour, and strength live on in the memories we carry—and in every beautifully imperfect, swear-filled crochet blanket she ever made.
Melia lived in Elstow as a child and as an adult lived Kempston way until meeting Tim and moving to Bromham, she had various jobs like we all do when young but realised she had a talent with numbers so put herself through her accountancy qualifications, you all know Melia enough so know that during that time there was a lot of tears, cursing and happiness as she passed each assessment and finally became someone who could put letters after her name…but never did. As friends we always giggled about being grown up and doing big girl jobs!
When Melia met Tim, she told me she had started to see this bloke that wore lycra and cycled a lot…yes, we chuckled when Tim popped the question, we celebrated with coffee and cake of course!
Their wedding was an amazing day; to see them both look so happy and have all their friends about them made it an honour to be a part of. The wedding reception was a barn dance, to share that most people left about 2am tells you what a blast it was to celebrate their day.
When James arrived M was so joyous and slightly terrified in having a small person to be in charge of, as you all know James was a great small person and grew into such a great young man who Melia is so proud of and what he has achieved in life so far. What’s great is he also has the wicked sense of humour Melia and Tim have!
I’d like to share this with you all from when we were Young Leaders.
Celebrating 75 years of Girl Guiding (1985) at Shuttleworth, camping in the estate garden, Guides from all over Bedfordshire converge with their A-frame tents and set up small camps in divisions.
As Young Leaders Melia and I were role models (stop laughing) and obviously setting a great example to the younger Girl Guides who were camping at Shuttleworth, there were over a thousand from Bedfordshire Guiding and we were excited to share a tent with each other, we were so happy.
The first morning when the alarm went off, we only realised what had happened as we tried to get out the tent to realise, our Guides had sewn us in, but the fly sheet round too.
IT WAS HILARIOUS and apparently you could hear us cursing and laughing from a distance.
We finally emerged and ran to get into campfire circle with our heads down, slowly we realised that the girls were trying hard not to laugh and there was a lot of giggling…we looked up and it was at this point we realised that my bra and your knickers (boxery things) were flying high on our camp flagpole, mortifying but so bloody funny too…a moment that perfectly captured our mischievous spirit…but there’s more…
That night, we declared silent war, armed with a torch, a spade, stifling our giggles, we collected a vast amount of sheep shit (Shuttleworth have a LOT of sheep!)
Filling all our little camp’s washing-up bowls, laughter echoed, and tears ran down our legs as we made our way back to our tent and tried to sleep…next morning was chaos and we managed to look sweet and innocent – not an easy task I’ll grant you and we eventually faced the inevitable disapproval of our matriarchal leader. But it was sooooo worth it!
In recent years, she took up crocheting, and like everything she did, she threw herself into it wholeheartedly. Her blankets were gorgeous—intricate, warm, and made with love. Of course, anyone within earshot could also confirm they were stitched together with more than a few swear words. You’d hear the click-clack of her crochet hook… punctuated by the occasional “bloody hell” when the yarn misbehaved. It was so very Melia—creative, determined, and just a little bit fierce.
When Melia found Bosom Pals, it was a true turning point in her journey. As many of you know, receiving her diagnosis brought not only the expected fear and uncertainty, but also a flood of emotions tied to the loss of her dad. It was an incredibly difficult and overwhelming time.
But Bosom Pals made a huge difference. They weren’t just a support group; they were a lifeline.
Their care, understanding, and presence helped lift some of the weight she was carrying. They were there not just for Melia, but also for the boys, and that meant the world to her.
I know how much she valued the friendships and strength she found in the group. It helped her feel less alone, gave her comfort, and reminded her, on even the toughest days, that she was surrounded by people who truly understood, stood with her and became extended family.
Melia experienced a lot of tragedy in her young life with losing her parents and grandparents too young, but with the friends she had round her she was a strong determined person, know what she liked in life and lived to the fullest of her potential, even when her nerves hit on occasions, she’d mutter “come on girl you can do this” and give it her all.
Melia had currently been working at Cranfield University which is where she went after the Fire service job she was in. If I’m honest we didn’t work much when we got together.
The main title pic above is from February when we met up for a walk, coffee and of course cake!
