Grenfell tributes: Each family has a story to tell
As a week of commemorations draw to a close, Charlotte Lomas-Farley examines their impact ahead of the rest of the inquiry.
Wednesday 30 May 2018 20:37, UK
The final day of the Grenfell commemoration hearings was like every one before it: powerful, moving and often distressing.聽
Over the last seven days tributes to the 72 victims of the Grenfell Tower fire have painted a picture of vibrancy, community and personality.
They have told the story of the individuals whose lives were cut short and allowed their voices to be at the heart of the inquiry into the disaster.
The hearings have been extremely emotional - difficult for those talking, and those who listened.
But among the pain, there have been moments of humour and light as the bereaved shared precious anecdotes and memories of their loved ones.
Elements of beauty too have been heard as those within the Grenfell community - bereaved and survivors - came every day to show support and hug and applaud those who addressed the inquiry.
Many strangers, but bonded all together by their grief.
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The families had to fight to have these pen portraits. With the help of legal teams and the charity inquest, bereaved relatives and survivors campaigned to be able to remember and respect their loved ones at the opening of the inquiry.
They wanted to provide a stark reminder of why the inquiry is important and who it is for.
It has succeeded in firmly putting the focus on the individuals. They are no longer a number or a picture on a page but human beings, each with a story to tell.
The last day included 63-year-old Raymond Bernard, affectionately known as Moses, a grandfather hailed as a hero and a protector.
This trait was exemplified on the night of the fire as he gave refuge to six people, including two children. They were all found together in his bedroom on the 23rd floor.
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The intensity of the emotion has not been lost on the man leading it.
The retired judge Sir Martin Moore-Bick has listened intently, nodding and showing support, as well as praising participants for their courage and dignity.
He accepted a painting by one of the bereaved relatives depicting the Grenfell Tower on fire and it remained on show for the duration of the hearings.
As this first stage drew to a close, Mr Moore-Bick also vowed to find answers for the families.
To a packed and hushed room he said: "It is the love that has shone through each of these memorials that has made these past few days so profoundly affecting".
The bereaved hope this emotion will shape the inquiry as the hearings progress to the evidence-based sessions which will examine the outbreak of the fire and sequence of events on that night of 14 June last year.