Dinah first suggested we meet in 2014 initially to discuss the Autistic Space Kit app. One aim for that app was to help prevent Autists being wrongfully arrested. This was the beginning of our deep friendship.
In that same year we wrote our first joint letter, with other Autistic activists and friends (about our concerns with the National Autistic Society). I discovered that Dinah was a prolific letter writer, often to raise concerns and suggest improvements but also to congratulate when good service did happen.
Not finding a venue was a common occurrence. Dinah always arrived well in advance, but also had a knack to lose both herself and her possessions. It was interesting trying to help Dinah find a conference we were both attending after receiving a text saying she was lost! Eventually we both permanently shared our locations on our phones, which made this much easier. Dinah was the first person, and one of only two, I ever trusted with my location.
Attending exhibitions, seeing films, joining Autistic gatherings, having a meal together, walking in nature, looking for mushrooms and taking photographs were some of Dinah’s many passions. I was fortunate to occasionally share some of these moments. On occasions the journey was much more fun than the event we were traveling to and we cherished these trips.
Hugging is something else Dinah was fond of. I am not so keen. When Dinah visited London briefly in April, we met at the C. Road house where she had welcomed her friends on so many occasions and did hug, for the last time. For a while Dinah used to sign off with this quote from Bob Dylan: ‘Everything passes, everything changes. Just do what you think you should do.’
I miss my friend Dinah very much.
Read about aspects of her life in A Productive Irritant: A Celebration of the Life of Dr. Dinah Murray and Fergus’ My ‘Rather Weird’ Mum.
‘I am carrying this everywhere in my pocket’ - Dinah, 2021-05-05
Last edited on 2021-08-14