For anyone who doesn’t know me, I’m Mima, one of Stevens younger cousin's.
From when I was born in 1996 we have been to the yearly summer Booth family reunions at my uncle and aunty's house (Brain and Helen, Camberley). The first few memories I have of Steven was of the character he used to play for me and my younger sisters - "Mr Pig"
He would get on his hands and knees and chase us around the WHOLE garden. FOR HOURS.
He’d snort and oink at us. Have my little sisters on his back and chase me (the eldest) round the massive garden that lies behind Brain and Helen’s house. We’d scream "MR PIG” when we saw him and have so much fun over the whole weekend with him. Whenever he tried to sit down for some sort of sustenance we’d scream at him again and poor Steven had to get right back up again and chase us.
I think about it now and I don’t know how he used to do it! For whole weekends at a time, he’d do the character. I genuinely don’t know how he managed it for so long. I mean this happened for years and years and YEARS.
I remember a few reunions past that he didn’t attend for various reasons. And once he returned I was I was a grungy little teenager. Trying to get to know me must have been slightly annoying as I barely spoke to anyone. I realised within those years, in my eyes, how cool he was. Those amazing outfits and hats! I think now quite possibly I wanted to be JUST LIKE HIM! My sisters and I would repeatedly ask my parents if Mr Pig was coming to the reunion. They’d always say yes and we’d get so excited, knowing the fun we’d be having once up in Camberley. It’s slightly embarrassing that me and my sisters thought his name was ACTUALLY Mr Pig for way too many years. I mean that’s who we knew him as from a very young age.
Steven teaching me about his film and music background over many different Booth gatherings made him go up and up on the cool scale for me! I really do wish I had had more experiences at my current age with Steven. Going to the pub, going to gig’s, watching obscure indie films.
I remember we sat at Juliet and Dave’s wedding eating pasties and talking about film - continuing the evening by dancing to our heart's content. Nothing can beat those kinds of rare but amazing experiences with him for me. I’ve realised that having someone like Steven in life really influenced my own life for the better.
There are so many things I wish he could still be here for. Steven meeting my own children was a top priority for me, that’s for sure. As well as many other things I'm yet to experience in life. I know my other cousins feel the same way about their own children and Steven. But, as some of us have said. His memory will never be lost. Telling our own children, partners and friends about him makes the memory go on forever and continue throughout generations. This is something I will stand by.
Thank you all so much for posting all your memories of Steven on here.
As Sonia has already said, this will be much appreciated by our whole family!
I love you so much Mr Pig. You’ll be missed by us all.
I can’t thank you enough for being in my life.
I will continue to blast your music out my window for the whole of South London to hear!
Love from Mima.