“Just pure kindness”: Richard E Grant’s emotional gift after wife’s death

Richard E Grant has shared the story of an incredibly thoughtful gift from his neighbour.

The English actor said he was “undone” by his neighbour’s gift, which was a heart-warming reminder of his late wife.

Grant, 65, lost his wife, dialect coach Joan Washington, to lung cancer in September 2021.

The actor shared an emotional video about the gift and how much it meant to him while he is continuing to grieve his loss.

“I returned to the Cotswolds today for the weekend and the kind of violence in the silence as you long to hear the person that you can never hear again,” he began, looking visibly emotional.

“What has completely floored me is to find that my incredibly generous neighbour Jules Bowsher has gifted me a comfort blanket, or a lap quilt as she calls it.”

“She has hand embroidered it over months, with all of my wife’s favourite poetry.”

“All of the names of the actors and coaches she worked with over the decades, films and stage plays that she coached on.”

“All the expressions that were common to our 38-year-long marriage.”

The actor continued, “It includes little 3D pockets of happiness with keepsakes and trinkets, all referencing our long marriage.”

“The amount of time she has taken to do this, it’s beyond measure as the kindness of friendship has undone me in the greatest spirit of Christmas as possible,” Grant said.

“How can two little words, ‘Thank you,’ begin to adequately convey the enormity of what she has given me?