Gillian Noel, who died in September 2001, was a loving, loyal friend of seventeen years. I first met her in 1984, at Amnesty International, International Secretariat, when she commissioned me to design a poster for the 25th Anniversary of Amnesty International. Together we worked on the UN Convention Against Torture campaign of 1985, much later on the Universality of Human Rights campaign and finally, in 2000, on the second UN Convention Against Torture campaign, which was by far the most successful of our collaborations.

Known by all who knew her as an extraordinary person, she was the sweetest of people, whose joyful presence at many a party will be always be treasured in memory.

July 2007

Her great gift, and quite a special gift too, was that she could make each one of her friends feel as though they were her only and best one. She never missed a birthday or seasonal greeting and when she found something special and nice would have the ideal person in mind to receive it. I've got one or two! Lovely memories always!



The image on the left, "The Universality of Human Rights", is based upon some submissions for a cover design for the Amnesty International Annual Report of 1999 which Gillian commissioned me to design. My design was deemed to be too abstract and so was rejected. Gillian did keep the original sketches though, which was nice. I later produced the painting (lower left) in acrylic, for my one person exhibition in the Beldam Gallery. Later, the staff at Amnesty purchased it as a rememberance for Gillian. It now hangs in the newly refurbished Amnesty International Secretariat offices in London. For Gillian.