The obituary notice of Cherie HOYLE

My relationship with my cousin Cherie has always been characterised by long periods apart followed by intense times together.

We first spent a lot of time together when my sister was born, I was 4, Cherie was 13 and came to Coventry to look after me. Cherie came to stay with us when I was about 10 and I remember that as a very naughty, but exciting (Cherie was always exciting) time, we’d disappear, mostly to see Beatles films, but my poor Mother was a terrible worrier. When I was 12 I went to stay with my Auntie Muriel in Mountain Ash for the summer holidays but spent every day with Cherie.. It’s then we started discussing politics and other issues, although my parents were also very political. Growing up Cherie was my big sister, my friend and my hero.

My Dad was the one who named Cherie, he was a lovely singer and used to sing The Wind Whispers Cherie to her when she was a little girl.

In the late 1970s Cherie disappeared but I always felt she was alive and okay, and that one day she would be in touch with me..

In 1996 my daughter Kate, then 8, and I did a round the world trip, including living in Adelaide for a year. We never found out that Cherie was there and there were plenty of chances: on our second day there we went to Unley Way to Go, where Cherie had a stall: I worked on the same campus as Paul, we had mutual friends: darling Non’s best friend lived opposite us, etc. etc. In my mind we were meant to meet, why, why didn’t we, something went wrong and I’m still absolutely tamping. We were meant to stay in Australia with Cherie. When we were there Cherie had a feeling that I was close,, she was a bit witchy, and she phoned my parents to check, but just as we had come home.

We did our best to save to go back out but didn’t manage it, my friend Cathy gave me money from her inheritance and we went out for Nonnie’s 21st, Kate was then 13. It was the most magical of times.

We were lucky to meet Peggy, Paul’s Mum, on that trip, got on famously and had a fab trip to Kangaroo Island together, Peggy was very intrepid she went backpacking for the first time in her 70s.and we saw fairy penguins.

Since then we have taken turns going back and fore. Cherie surprised my parents for their 55th wedding anniversary in Mountain Ash. We went with Cherie, Daf and Non to London when the Daily Mail paid for them to go to Downing St, as Tony’s Blair’s wife Cherie Booth was named after our Cherie, when her parents stayed in the family B&B when Cherie was 8, they were captivated by her, who wouldn’t be. Nonnie and Alicia (that’s another family story) came to live with us. Kate and her then partner Gareth went to live with Cherie and Paul for 6 months. . I went out for 5 weeks at Christmas, Jet was the most delightful toddler on that visit.

I’ve always admired Cherie and Paul’s environmental work, my dream was to live on Christie Walk. The only way I can get into Australia now is as ‘an elderly dependent relative’, they can shove that. Another dream gone by is that I wanted just me and Cherie to do the Great Ocean Road, just us. Cherie was talented in so many ways, it was our Auntie Muriel who taught us both all sorts of crafts, Cherie’s patchwork is spectacular and we are surrounded by it at home.

Matching the first time we all got together the last time for my 60th birthday was the most wonderful time. Cherie, Paul, Non, Heath, Jet, Sienna and Isabel came to the UK for 5 weeks and it was all kept a surprise. The number of times I cried beforehand because Cherie wasn’t well enough to come were many and still my daughter didn’t let on. I can’t yet watch the video of the moment I realised she was here after all. My daughter organised all our travel and it was like herding cats. We travelled around the UK visiting family, had a day with our cousin Cheryl at the Eden Project, sometimes went our separate ways.

But we were together in London, Paris and Venice. Only our family could have our final farewell meal in a carpet showroom. As they did all across Europe Sienna and Belle gave us a rendition of ‘Let it Go’.

Cherie told me then we would see one another again and I still believe that, despite having no spiritual belief, if Cherie said it it will happen it will. If Cherie hadn’t died so quickly after diagnosis and I wasn’t ill myself we would have got to her in time.

I’ve always loved Cherie with all my heart,we had a special bond, but also admire her and am very proud of what she has achieved. Without her I feel quite untethered from the world. I will miss her but she played such a big part in making me who I am, she will always be with me too.

Remembering a dearly loved cousin, who was a force of nature, passionate, tenacious and as colourful as her patchwork quilts. Loved so dearly by our parents Kath and Bill Perrett. Although my time spent with Cherie over the years was brief, my memories and the impact of our time together have been immense, so sad to have been so distant for so long but thankful and proud to have known and been influenced by her. With heartfelt love
Kx

I met Chérie Hoyle in June 1993, when the Centre for Urban Ecology (CUE) opened at 83 Halifax Street, Adelaide. She was 47 and I was 21. I am now 52, and she is 77. I've known her over half my life.

I had just started university at the beginning of February 1993, and, in arguably the most serendipitous moment of my life, had discovered the last remaining flyer in the Magill campus student union office for something called ‘The Halifax Ecocity Project’. The little stick figure juggling balls which was the project’s logo I found out was drawn by Chérie’s partner in life and work, ecological architect Paul F Downton (who was later one of my university lecturers).

I discovered the CUE was opening that June, and wrote a letter to a newly formed organisation called Urban Ecology Australia (UEA), which had emerged out of the Greenhouse ’88 conference held in Adelaide. Following that, the Second International Ecocity Conference was held in Adelaide in 1992, and Chérie Hoyle was the organiser. I just missed it. The next one to be held in Australia wasn’t until 2017, in Melbourne.

A handwritten reply came from Chérie inviting me to the opening of the CUE in June 1993. Six months into my university degree, all thoughts of being on campus aside from lectures and tutorials vanished. The CUE became my campus. I began a five year stint working full time as a volunteer five days a week, 10am - 6pm, around university contact hours. Sometimes weekends, sometimes evenings. Sometimes, a bit of money for paid work came via the company Paul and Chérie formed, Ecopolis Pty Ltd. It was formed so no one else could use and misappropriate the term, or snare the domain name for this newfangled thing called a web site.

Through Urban Ecology Australia, and its home at the Centre for Urban Ecology, I met the most amazing variety of people - from the librarian David Munn, to the thoughtful academic-activist Matt Fisher, to law, architecture and design students Sam Knottenbelt, Digby.