It was almost like a state funeral with white horses, wearing dancing white plumes, pulling the flower be-decked ivory carriage carrying Tanya Lovert to her final resting place.

Hundreds and hundreds of mourners had packed St Ignatius Church, Hendon, with the East End turning out in force, to say a final farewell to this most beautiful young woman with a matching spirit who I will never forget.

I watched stricken as her devoted fiance Brent Cannon, 25, carried the white coffin of his princess shoulder high with Tanya's 18-year-old brother, Jamie.

Brent, who had made a desperate dash after being airlifted from an oil rig in the North Sea, never did make it in time before Tanya slipped away at Newcastle RVI.

How bravely he spoke in the church saying movingly: "She has changed my life and how much I loved her. My only regret is not getting there on Sunday night. She is in no more pain now."

And Brent read mum Michelle's tribute: "To my daughter and best friend and how for 20 years my life has revolved around you.

"I can't put into words how much I love you. There's so much love to measure. I know you know how much I am going to miss you. I have told you that often enough before you left me.

"I can't count how many kisses you gave me. We will one day be together but just not for a while. I watched you suffer for such a long time and in a way it was a relief to see you in no more pain. You gave me your strength."

Then as Brent and I embraced at Tanya's graveside, Amazed By You by Lonestar, what would have been their wedding song, drifted round Sunderland Cemetery, Grangetown.

I watched men and women dropping their red and white roses onto the coffin. I have a single white one that fell from the carriage which I will treasure and press.

It was heartbreaking that Tanya and Brent never did get to marry on the wedding day I had arranged for them on June 22.
Although I knew time was running out for 20-year-old cystic fibrosis sufferer Tanya, I lived in hope.

It was humbling to have played a part in their love story and I know that I'll never have such a privilege again.

Life is so fragile and the love Tanya left in so many hearts will truly live on.

The power of Mother Nature
Any weekend you can go to High Force and see mams, dads and bairns sitting on the top dangling their feet over the waterfall – literally a footfall away from death.

In the wake of the latest tragedy, when Nissan worker Dan Davies plunged 70 feet to his death while collecting rocks for his tropical fish tank, my hope is it will make people have more respect for their safety.

On a summer's day, people can be so heedless of the awesome power of the natural elements both on land and sea.

There have been three fatalities at High Force in the last 13 years.
The danger at this beautiful spot, which can't be fenced off, means your safety is in your own hands. Be warned.

Rubbed up the wrong way
"Have you got an invite then?"asked our librarian as I leafed through blurb from wonderful Stobo Castle health spa in the borders.
"No, they've just sent this to torment me," I told her.

"Eeh, they do French facials," she replied, at which newsroom joker Kevin Clark quipped: "That's when they rub your face with garlic and bash it with a baguette – it's a great exfoliator."