Please help: Alan Norton's funeral flower fund

Hi, my name is Lindsay Carline and I'm raising funds to provide flowers for the funeral and cremation of a very loved and dear friend of mine but also of most of our community here in Southsea, Portsmouth (UK), who left behind no next of kin and who's funeral is, as a result of this, being arranged by our local council. This lovely man's name was Alan Norton.

His funeral date will be in the next 1-2 weeks and will be announced once it is confirmed by the council and funeral directors. They provide artificial flowers but have said that, should we as a community wish to provide a beautiful display of real flowers for his coffin/ceremony, we would be more than welcome to do so. And so, here I am, reaching out to all you wonderful people who may or may not know our Alan, asking for you to help raise the funds for some flowers for this lovely man funeral. Even a £1 donation would help us along.

Alan sadly passed away suddenly on the 18th May 2022, at the age of 79 (although most thought him to be in his 60s) leaving behind his beloved 4 year old Dogue De Bordeaux, Princess.

For the last 6 years I have shared a courtyard with Alan and he was part of my daily life. We got our dogs 2 months apart and shared many a conversation about absolutely everything and anything at all times of the day and even the night if we happened to let our dogs out for a night time toilet break at same time. He fast became a father figure to me, someone who, even knowing was next door, made me feel safer, supported and not alone. When he passed, I felt absolutely lost, devastated and angry at the universe for taking such a person out of my life and from his community. He is very missed and his absence is immense.

Alan and Princess became part of the daily school run (as we are down the road from a school) and a common sight along the Southsea seafront, sat on their favourite bench. In the mornings and the afternoons they would always be in the front garden to our building, ready to greet the children, parents, and anyone walking past with a smile and a wagging tail. He was beloved by the children and parents on the school run as well as our neighbours and friends.

He was a kind, proud, funny, gentle, giving man who always was happy to stop and talk to anyone, usually about his Princess. He always had time for everyone and would be on hand to help anyone of his friends. He loved to cook, hosting dinners for small groups of friends, usually with his signature Mac'n'cheese! He also loved to bake and was known for his cakes and mince pies which he always shared with friends.

Alan had always made it clear that, should Princess ever outlive him, he always wanted her to go back to the lady who bred her and who still had Princess' mum, and with whom Alan had remained in touch at least weekly over the last 4 years. This lovely lady didn't hesitate to accept to take Princess back and they were reunited in Wales within days of Alan leaving us, fulfilling his wish.

Alan however had a very tough life in his earlier years and because of this, I am even more determined to give him a beautiful flower display on his send off. Alan spent over 30 years in prison, having been convicted and originally sentenced to hang for the murder of his little sister in 1965 on the Isle of Jersey. He was eventually released on licence (paroled) in the 1990s but ALWAYS proclaimed his innocence and has been trying to clear his name since his conviction. After his release, Alan took and passed a polygraph test and wrote a book - JUSTICE JERSEY STYLE - about his life and case so that he could tell the public his story. He never charged for his book and it is available to download for free from Amazon or from www.alannorton.co.uk. Unfortunately, he sadly never managed to clear his name in his lifetime.

Please help me to raise funds for flowers for this lovely man's funeral. If more money is raised than will be needed for flowers, he would want the excess to be donated to a Dogue De Bordeaux rescue.

Thank you so much for reading. I hope you are able to help.

Warmest wishes,

Lindsay xxx