30-year-old Eilidh killed as she cycled to work

Feb 9 2009 by Brian Daniel, The Journal

THE mother of a Northumberland woman killed while cycling to work has paid tribute to her “happy and outgoing” daughter.

Eilidh Cairns, 30, who was raised in Ellingham, near Alnwick, died in the accident in London, where she was living and working, on Thursday morning.

Eilidh was born in Alnwick and attended Embleton and Ellingham first schools, before going to the Duke’s Middle School and Duchess’s High School in the town.

She studied for her A-levels at the Duchess’s school before doing a degree in marine biology at Liverpool University, spending the last year of her course on the Isle of Man.

Eilidh, who had a large circle of friends, later moved to London to live with her sister. She had various jobs there, but would often give them up around winter time to travel to the Alps to fulfil her love of snowboarding and ski-ing.

In 2003, Eilidh went to Dubai to pursue what was her main ambition, to work in the film and entertainment industry. There she was part of a small company making wildlife films.

After 18 months, Eilidh returned to London, and eventually got a job with American company IMG World in the post- production industry, preparing documentaries.

However she recently fulfilled a dream when she found work in the film production sector, with Darlow Smithson Productions.

Eilidh, who had a boyfriend Giles Carlin who works at Imperial College, also enjoyed sailing – in which she was an instructor, and took part in the Tall Ships Race aged just 16. Last Monday, with London hit by snow and Eilidh unable to go to work, she had woken her flatmates early in the morning to go snowboarding.

Her parents Heather and John Cairns, both 66 and retired school teachers, the latter at Willington High School, live at The Vicarage in Ellingham.

Eilidh had two brothers Mark Mitchell, 40, who now lives in Canada, Asher, 34, and a sister Kate, who turns 37 this month.

Last night Mrs Cairns, who taught at the two Alnwick schools her daughter attended and is a former leader of Alnwick District Council, said Eilidh had been killed doing something she loved.

She said: “She hated the tube, she hated the bus, so she cycled. She liked the exercise, she liked the buzz.

“She had just been appointed to the exciting new job that she had always wanted and will be remembered as the chirpy, happy outgoing girl that she was.

“She was a very good friend of many people – to be relied upon.

“People always used to say they were a better person for knowing Eilidh, that is what her London friends all said.

“She was always chirpy and pleasant with people.”

Eilidh’s funeral takes place at Ellingham Church next Tuesday, February 17, at 11am.