Friends and family of Strictly Come Dancing legend Robin Windsor have gathered to celebrate his wonderful life in the dance school where it all began.
Former dancers, friends and family met up at Arlington’s restaurant, formerly the home of Ipswich Dance School, on Museum Street, to hear a service performed by the celebrant who conducted his funeral at Seven Hills Crematorium last month.
The service on Sunday was followed by a wake where everyone swapped stories and shared their memories of Robin.
“It was a bittersweet occasion,” said his sister, Hayley, who was seven years Robin's senior.
“It was sad to have to be holding the service at all but lovely to catch up with everyone, many of whom I hadn’t seen for such a long time, and to hear stories about Robin, some of which I was hearing for the first time.”
She added: “Robin would have loved it.”
Hayley said Robin was "an amazing little brother," smiling as she recalled that as a young boy, "he could be quite annoying! Always trying to come into my room when my friends were over!"
“We were very close as we grew older though,” she added. “He used to come down here or I would go up to London with my two sons and we’d have a meal and a lovely chat.”
Hayley said the celebration of his life was the first time she had found out that when Robin was meant to be at school, he used to sneak round to her house in his lunch hour with his friends.
“He was living with me then but I never knew that,” she said, “so he got away with that one.”
Robin, who passed away aged 44 in London earlier this year, had attended Copleston High School in Ipswich and before that, Clifford Road primary.
He started out dancing at Ipswich Dance School, learning his trade in the Arlington ballroom.
His dance career took him all over the country with his dance partner, Kristina Rihanoff, and he appeared on Strictly between 2010 and 2013, partnering Patsy Kensit, Anita Dobson, Lisa Riley, and Deborah Meaden.
Hayley said that it had been quite the weekend for her and the family as on Friday they had all attended the LGBT awards in London to receive a posthumous award for Robin which they collected alongside Robin’s ‘best friend’, Lisa Riley, and his former partner, Davide Cini.
“That was a bittersweet moment too,” she said. “It was hard to get up on stage but lovely for him to be recognised and honoured. He did such a lot of work for charity.”
Hayley said she was coping with the loss of her brother 'as best I can’ but she had been helped by the kindness and support of the many people who knew and loved Robin.
She said: “When he passed away, I had known he was well liked but I never would have expected the outpouring of love from so many people. It was lovely that so many people cared about him.”
Hayley said they were still waiting for the coroner to conclude the circumstances surrounding Robin's passing.
A special show, The Final Act, a celebration of Robin’s life, is planned at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, for November 3 in his memory.
Hosted by Anton du Beke and Lisa Riley, it will include appearances by Pasha Kovalev, Anya Garnis and Deborah Meaden.
All proceeds from the event will go to the SANE charity.
For tickets, visit lwtheatres.co.uk/whats-on/robin-windsor-the-final-act/
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