MP pays tribute to brother in Goth festival memorial service
Paul Jeeves
A CROWD of more than 1,000 lined Whitby's harbour to bid an emotional farewell to the brother of MP Lembit Öpik during the weekend's Goth festival at the historic port.
A memorial service was held on Saturday night for Endel Öpik, who was a regular visitor to the festival before he died last November from pneumonia at the age of 37.
Mr Öpik was among those who gave a speech in memory of his brother before his ashes were sent out to sea on a Viking longship which was set alight by flaming arrows fired from the beach. Endel, who was widely known as Tal Stoneheart, collapsed at his Derbyshire home which he shared with his long-term partner, Claire Hanley-Öpik, whom he married in a pagan wedding in 2003.
Mr Öpik, the leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, said: "I never expected so many people to be there for the memorial. We were all taken aback. It was an emotional time and while not everyone there would have known my brother, it was a really pleasant atmosphere.
"It was my first time at the festival, but I have had a lot of invites to come back. People might think that Goths are weird, but the festival is a celebration of humanity and the people are just so nice."
More than 3,500 Goths descended on Whitby at the weekend for the festival, which was first held in the early 1990s and is staged every April and October. Sam Hoyle, who is married to organiser Jo Hampshire, said: "It has gone really well, and everyone is looking forward now to October.
"We have had a lot of compliments about the festival, and we would like to say thank you to everyone who makes it what it is."
24 April 2006
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Good press, on the heels of that little self-hurt study.
