Rik Mayall - Rest in Peace

This is a post I really never thought I'd have to write, so i'm gonna try and hold it together.

Later today one of my comedy heroes is being laid to rest and to be completely honest I'm still as dazed as I was the minute I heard about it last week. Rik Mayall has always been a huge factor in my life but like thousands of the other grieving fans around the world I have been stunned by how strong this sense of grief really is. I never had the honour of meeting the man himself but yet i feel like i've lost a friend or a member of my own family.

I have spent many minutes in the past week watching episodes of The Young Ones and Bottom reliving the memory of this fabulous human being. Episodes that i haven't seen for many years. See, i grew up watching Rik and his alternative comedy. Most of the time this was done in secret, having to sneak around and having the TV unbelievable quietly so my parents didn't know i was watching something so inappropriate for a little girl of  5 years old. This man soon became my little secret. So as I write this with an hour until his funeral, as a 24yr old woman I feel like that secret part of my childhood has been taken away from me.

I Couldn't put in to words what Rik meant or represented to me until i watched of of his movies at the weekend. The brilliant Drop Dead Fred tells the story of a girl who's world falls apart after losing her job, husband and car all in one lunchtime, she moves back home and is soon visited by her childhood imaginary friend (Played by Mayall) Madness soon ensues as she goes about getting her husband back with the help of Fred. We soon find out that in his own way Fred is helping her get her life back on track and give her strength to carry on and realise her worth.We see flash backs of her causing chaos with Fred as a child. These flashbacks resonated with me and reminded me of sneaking around just so i could watch him in the latest episode of bottom.As a well behaved young girl, this i guess was my small act of rebelion in a world of innocnece, an innocence that is lost as you grow up. To me I guess Rik represents freedom, he truly embodies Fred as everyone's imaginary friend and i will always hold on to that.

So as the time comes to lay the great man to rest, we can only imagine what the future could've held for him but i'm going to treasure the laughs and the giggle he gave me. He will always be my little secret.

I hate goodbyes, they seem too final
 
"Just Kiss Me and say Drop Dead Fred"