Gemma Palmer, a young mother from Templecombe and a very popular worker at the Half Moon, was killed in a terrible and tragic traffic accident on the night of Wednesday 22 June.
It is almost impossible for anyone who knew Gemma to come to terms with this terrible news. The Blog sends its heartfelt condolences to Gemma’s husband Greg, and their three young daughters. Gemma was pretty, popular, kind, generous, vivacious, a great mother, and good at her jobs (she was also a part time hairdresser). She will be deeply mourned and missed by all her friends and customers at the Half Moon, and elsewhere in the village.
my heart goes out to Gemmas husband and daughters also her parents and family and her friends
Such tragic news… A young life cut so short. My prayers go out to all her family, particuarly her 3 gorgeous little girls… God bless xx
Terrible news, thoughts are with her Husband & Daughters, Parents & friends.
I still can not get my head around not seeing her again. Thoughts are with the girls,mum,dad and family xxxx
What about Rob?
rob has suffered a huge amount, but thankfully still has his life. my love goes to everyone who has suffered in this terrible accident.x
Gemma was a fabulous mother and a very kind and thoughtful person. When my daughter moved to the village with our granddaughter, she made her feel welcome and actually went out of her way to do so. She remained a friend and was never to busy to stop and say hello. She will be sadly missed and remembered with fondness. Her untimely death has touched the village and left a cold cloud of sadness, which you can feel, almost touch.
One comment by ‘A concerned Local’ was cruel and totally inappropriate – Anonymous idle gossip.
My families kindess thoughts are with her husband, mum, dad and her three lovely children whom we have all watched grow into ‘fine little people’. For them, their lives will never be the same.
Speculation is a fabulous thing and rumours are vicious and spiteful.
This comment is both of these things.
The long and short of it is a beautiful and wonderful mother, daughter, wife and friend has tragically lost her life. Leaving all of those people without her ray of sunshine.
To you the person who wrote this please consider the feelings of the three little girls left with no mummy to tuck them in at bedtime before posting such a comment.
Gemma you will never be forgotten. You touched so many lives.
That comment is not from a concerned local, it was from a small minded vicious individual that thinks it is ok to put these slanderous comments on the Internet. Think of the family. You do not know any facts. If she was drinking she has paid the ultimate price of her life. Her loved ones certainly do not need you trying to blacken her name. If you have no nice comments about what the lovely lady she was then please keep your mouth shut.
Well said anonymous – vicious evil comments help no-one just think of those 3 lovely little girls
God Bless Gemma xx
Gemma was an absolutely amazing woman. She was so loved by everyone and I just cannot believe she’s gone. This life is so unfair and cruel. My thoughts are with the 3 gorgeous girls, Greg and the rest of the family at this horrible time. R.I.P Gemma, such a beautiful, caring, loving person and a fantastic mother! <3 you will be GREATLY missed!
love you!! Lots of love always, your neighbour, Sammie xxxxxx
Never ever forgotten!! XXX
Gemma, such a beautiful caring wonderful person..Didn’t know you long but you made me so welcome when i first moved to Templecombe and we soon became good friends.
Am devastated at this tragic awful news,keep thinking it’s just a bad dream, totally stunned and just can’t believe this has happened to such a beautiful soul.
Will never forget you, you touched my heart and soul my beautiful friend
R.I.P Gemma
My heart goes out to your 3 gorgeous girls, Greg and your lovely family
Love you sweetheart XXXXXXXXX
Our thoughts and prayers are Gemma’s husband and girls. Also with Di and Colin and all her family and friends. Gemma was a lovely child and grew to be a kind thoughtful young woman full of life. A tragic waste of such a beautiful young life. We have no number for Di and Colin will someone please pass our condolences and tell them our thoughts and love are with them.
I cant really put into words just what i want to say….Gemma was such a beautiful person inside and out and she will be missed by so many people. I cant even imagen the pain that her family is going through at the moment i am truely devastated, my heart goes out to her parents, Greg and her 3 gorgous daughters!
we will miss you Gemma and certainly wont ever forget you…rest in peace,
all my love xxxxx
I’ve been thinking about this all day because it bothered me that anyone could be so callous. Shame on you ”Concerned Local”, such self -righteous comments, the dictionary definition of which is : sanctimonious, smug, superior, hypocritical, self-satisfied, holier-than-thou and I would like to add one extra, INAPPROPRIATE.
There is an entire community in mourning for the lost life of a beautiful and vivacious young woman and somebody with such an air of smug moral superiority has no place airing their views on our village blog .
i beleive that rob is on the mend thank god he is still with us x
My heart goes out to rob and his family at this very sad time. I wish you a speedy recovery and that time will heal the hurt. xx
R.I.P Gemma and im so glad to hear that rob is going okay x
this so called concerned local needs to stop and think about what gemma’s kids are going through!! and not run such a lovely woman down…. yes maybe she had a bit of drink but that was her choice and she lost her life if she did so. i think people like you need to keep your Gob shut and keep your outrageous comments to your self and think about the people with out no mummy, friend or daughter. Gemma was a lovely lady and she will be missed by many and always be in our hearts xxxxx
just heard the sad news . did not know gemma very long , only a couple of years during my stay in horsington . had some good times in the half moon with a great barmaid and considered her a friend. she also did a great job of cutting my hair from time to time. you will be missed so much by eveyone who knew you. so sorry for greg and the kids. RIP gemma x x x
gemma hun,you lite up my whole day whenever i saw ,you were such a lovely bubbly girl whom i’m going to miss a great deal. you were a wonderful caring mother that anyone would be glad to have had you as theirs !!! i will sincerely miss our chats and coffee mornings.you really were a wonderful person and thank you for being a big part of my life !!! goodbye lovely lady and R.I.P.xxxxxxxxx
As most locals i have known Gemma and her family for many years, I would like to point out to the “Concerned Local”……. Regardless of the circumstances i don’t think that the outcome is justified, Just ask yourself how you would be feeling if Gemma was your child, mother, husband or friend…….. Sometimes in life things just happen, lets hope that the wheel does not turn the full cycle and mark your card.
People such as yourself are the sort that don’t live in the real world, perhaps if you did then you would announce your identity instead of behaving like a coward and making such tactless remarks. Obviously your ablutions smell of roses and you have never made a mistake in life………?! I think not.
May i express my sorry to Gemma and her family.
God Bless you all.
R.I.P x
To the concerned local
If you feel the need to leave such vicious and poisonous comments .You should grow yourself a pair and front up to the accusations you are making by leaving a name !!
What happened on the 23rd of June is as follows-
Three children lost their mother ,
a mother and father lost their daughter ,
a brother lost his sister,
and friends were left with a very big void.
So it is no wonder you leave no name if i were you i would leave no name or perhapes we can address you as the ashamed !!!!
so so sad and such a big loss , totally devestated for her family and for the girls having there mother taken away in such tragic circumstances . She will be so sadly missed by everyone . My heart felt thoughts are with the family at this time . You will be so missed x
Basic rule on earth plane concerned local.
Never speak ill of the dead.
Whatever the outcomes may be, NEVER SPEAK ILL OF THE DEAD.
how dare you pass judgement on something you know nothing about!!! there are only 3 people that know EXACTLY what happened and you are obviously not one of them. Hearsay and gossip is a poisonous tool, and i think is very, very sad that you have fallen prey to it. gemma was a loving, kind, bubbly, happy person, a brilliant friend and a FANTASTIC mother. she will be sadly missed by everyone and her laugh and smile will never be replaced.if you had any respect you would not have put this comment and kept your opinions to yourself.
any life lost IS TRAGIC AND HEARTBREAKING NO MATTER WHAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES!
gemma was a ray of sunshine
beautiful,caring,loving and the most amazing smile
gemma was the ray of sunshine in my life.
sleep softly gem xxxx
We have just returned from holiday to find such a tragic loss. For Colin and Di to lose their beautiful daughter. Gemma was such a lovely person and always had a smile on her face. Our thoughts are also with Greg and the girls. Also to Rob for his recovery.
We send our love to you all xx
No one wants news like this whatever the circumstances. We as humans make mistakes but no- one deserves the suffering that Gemma’s husband, children, brother, mum, dad and friends are having to endure at this time. Concerned person needs to save your concerns for something a little less emotive, I can only think that this comment was made to get a rise out of people and sadly you have succeeded, I hope this makes you happy at a time when everyone else is grieving for the loss of the nearest to a perfect person you could ever find. RIP Gemma xxx
The editor comments on “Concerned Local”: I agree with all the comments about this nasty person. However I believe that he /she is neither local nor concerned, and has succeeded in winding us all up.
The link on the comment takes you to a drink/drive campaigning website and the email address is “dontdrinkand drive @..”. Basically this is a professional campaign (probably paid for with your money), and the greater the negative reaction and abuse, the more the instigators will congratulate themselves. My advice is to ignore it, and concentrate on Gemma’s memory and the needs of her grieving family.
If enough people email me (editor@idnet.com), I will remove it.
So very, very sad
Reading the comments it is obvious that Gemma was a very popular girl who was much loved by those that knew her and will be sadly missed.
My thoughts are with her 3 beautiful daughters and all her family and friends.
I too have suffered the loss of a much loved family member this weekend and am astounded and disgusted by the comment made by ‘a concerned local’ with no thoughts to those grieving and affected by this tragedy.
It doesn’t surprise me that you chose not to put your name to your comment, I sincerely hope that you are not someone I call a friend. I would be so embarrassed and ashamed to have a friend like you. If as the editor says it could be a charity then shame on you and perhaps your marketing and awareness skills need addressing, that is not a good way to get support, personally I am not prepared to clink on the link to find out what you do and will instead spend my time e-mailing the editor to try and get your comments removed.
So sorry to hear this bad news, Gemma, was a good person, and very welcoming, in the only place i knew her, in the Moon, all the other comments about Gemma is right, i cant really add to much to that, such a sad loss, rest in peace, gemma. xxxx
to the concerend local how are you so sure she was a drunk driver? were you there? very easy to right a comment and hide away behind a blog. Be brave,as your so sure she was drunk and put your name to your blog.my thoughts go to all gemma family. she gave my daughter time, laughter,help when she needed it. she will sadly missed by a lot of people.R.I.P gem`s xxxx
So sad, my thoughts are with all her family, i agree that the concerned local should have more respect than leave such nasty comments.
Ive never knew this site was here and i think its fab! Everyone has said it all about Gemma. Friday nights just wont be the same down the moon. You’l truely be missed. Warmest thoughts to Greg and the girls and Gems family. So sad still doesnt seem real! Rest easy hun x
Unlike some I am willing to put my name to this! whoever wrote this slanderious statement regarding jemma’s tragic accident, they want to get there facts straight before commenting. No formal statement has been issued so until then please allow her memory to be held dear,especially as she has three young children who dont deserve to suffer at the hands of gossips like you. Only cowards like you would hide behind anonymous. You would do well to have some respect until all the facts are known. she was a dear and much loved friend to all who knew her.
How can you accuse someone of drink driving when there has been no proof that is the case. The British justice system states quite clearly “Innocent until proven guilty” Don’t you think Gemma’s family is suffering enough without your slanderous comments? My heart felt thoughts are with the family at this difficult and saddening time. RIP Gemma x
U nasty,heartless twit!!! A concerned local my arse!!!! My mum always use to say” if u have nothing nice to say don’t say anything” sweet dreams Gemma! Xxxxxxxxxx
Beautiful funeral celebration for such a beautiful daughter/ wife / mother. Struggled to keep bk the tears! Sweet dreams gem your always be missed xxxxx
It was a beautiful service today, befitting a beautiful young lady taken away from us far too young. I didn’t know you for very long, but since moving to the village, you were always a smiling, friendly face, a daily wave and chat as we passed by and I was looking forward to getting to know you more, when Noah started at pre-school with Evie. My heartfelt thoughts go out to your family, friends and beautiful daughters, we will miss you, rest in peace Gemma……you will never be forgotten.xxxxxx
A sad day as a beautiful lady was laid to rest. I hope we can all keep the stories and anecdotes going, which in turn will keep memories of Gemma alive.
Peace out…..but how different things might of been if she was sober and not driven that night…..plus my thoughts go out to the lorry driver, he has to live with what he saw that night!
Her children would still have their Mum, her parents would still have their Daughter. No-one can change what’s happened,but let’s hope valueable lessons will be learnt from this tragedy !
As for the tanker driver, I doubt after what he saw, he will ever drive again or get over it. My thoughts go out to him too.
She was sober
my lasting memory of Gemma will be her walking into the shop always with perfect hair, perfect make up, always a beautiful smile, a truly likable young lady, myself and my staff will miss her and we send our condolences to all her family. Rest in peace Gemma you will not be forgotten
An amazing beautiful service for an amazing beautiful lady. We miss your smile, waves and chats as we pass on the school run or at nursery. You will never be forgotton. Sweet Dreams xxxxx
Gem thank you for being a good friend to me when I found it so difficult to fit in living in Templecombe from living in Portsmouth, you were and always will be such a Special person in so many peoples lives. I am not religious but I have prayed for your family most days, as I can’t imagine what they are going through as even I am struggling to come to terms why you had to be taken from us all, especially your 3 beautiful daughters who you doted on.
Our loss is heavens gain xxx
I hope Gemmas loved ones find some comfort in the poem below (I found it very reassuring when my Gramps passed to the other side).
All IS WELL
Death is nothing at all,
I have only slipped into the next room
I am I and you are you
Whatever we were to each other, that we still.
Call me by my old familiar name,
Speak to me in the easy way which you always used
Put no difference in your tone,
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow
Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Play, smile think of me, pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household world that it always was,
Let it be spoken without effect, without the trace of shadow on it.
Life means all that it ever meant.
It is the same as it ever was, there is unbroken continuity.
Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?
I am waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near,
Just around the corner.
All is well.
Godbless, sweet dreams Gem xx
The service was very touching and showed just how much gemma was thought of and loved.Gemma your gorgeous smile and your fun loving attitute will be so missed. you and dave had your own funny kind of way of talking to each other that i never really understood but always made me laugh so much. you are so sorely missed and always will be. you will always be in our thoughts and memories. sleep tight sweetie x x x x x
The “Concerned Local” comment has been removed following requests from blog readers. Whilst the concerns expressed by this unpleasant individual are valid, at present there would appear to be nothing to substantiate the claim that excess alcohol was a cause of the accident. It would surely be better to leave such comments until an inquest has come to a conclusion. To have posted them so soon after the event, and in such a blunt manner, was cruel and heartless. We must all be saddened by this incident and try to help Gemma’s family in their time of need.
Thank you horsingtonblog for removing the comment from concerned local.
Unfortunately many people have been upset by this person and another anon hiding behind a blog.
I think they have been upset personally by the event and I am sorry if that is the case. But the fact remains that Gemma is now gone, the only people that now suffer from your comments are her family and friends, and we do not need more heart ache. It will bring you no comfort, she cannot hear you, please let her rest and use your negative energy to do something poitive for whomever you are hurting for.
We all make mistakes, perhaps yours are these comments…
It is so sad to hear this late Gemma was a loved friend by many and just think for one second what it would be like not to have your mummy!! Xx RIP xx
Gemma was loved my many…. what a shock i only heard about 3 months agoo i was planning on meeting up with gemma last year! but words cant help…. Poor Girlies awww always in my heart!
Inquest has concluded that it was an ACCIDENT Gem was not over the limit. So I hope those who left such nasty comments are pleased with themselves. You made a tragic loss of life even harder to come to terms with. Gemma you are missed and those who knew you and love you.always believed in you.XXx
You can read the Western Daily Press report of Gemma’s inquest -see http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/Tragic-road-death-mother-ruled-accident/story-15891208-detail/story.html
There is not a day gone by that I have’nt thought about you hunny…i’ts almost a year now gemma but you are still as fresh in my mind as ever.I miss so much you coming through my frontdoor, with your 3 lovely babies,every morning for your cup of coffee and sweeties for the children.You were always so busy going about your daily chores and you were a credit to your family and all that knew you. I see your lovely gorgeous smiley face every day hun and do so miss it! I will be up to see you on the 23rd june my little lovely and have a little chat….. rest in peace hunny …love you forever , teddybear xxxxx
2 years have passed without you Gemma, you were a caring, beautiful woman. There’s not a day without thinking of you, you are missed dearly by family, friends.
To this day I still can’t seem to get my head around it, it’s a total shock! You have been remembered every single day and you always will be remembered!
Miss you!
Sleep well<3
Love Meg xxxxxx
Gemma, I think about you all the time. I watch your beautiful girls grow and become happy young ladies. I would give anything to have you back here with them xxx miss you xxx