Father of woman shot outside pub spreads message of hope with documentary
THE father of a woman who was shot outside a pub on Christmas Eve is hoping to spread a message of hope, with a documentary following his cross-country walk in the aftermath of her death.
Tim Edwards, 53, joined actor John May in Worcester on his walk from Land's End to John O'Groats as part of a campaign to end gun and knife crime.
Days after Elle Edwards was killed in a shooting outside the Lighthouse pub in Wallasey Village, Wirral, Mr Edwards got in touch with Mr May, initially aiming just to "get out of town," but ultimately accompanying him to the top of Scotland.
Two years on, the documentary The Two Of Us will be screened at the Raindance Film Festival.
"You'll see that when times get really tough, as long you keep going and you keep having that little bit of hope and a bit of strength behind you, and the willingness to carry on and never give up, then you will come out alright the other side," said Mr Edwards.
"I've been through the worst hell you can imagine, there's not a lot else that could really turn me.
"I can cope with the day-to-day now through those experiences of walking with John and walking through the country and being alone and having therapy and talking about your feelings."
He completed the walk before the trial of Connor Chapman, who was targeting rival gang members when he opened fire outside the pub, and was sentenced to a minimum of 48 years after being found guilty.
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Throughout the walk, Mr Edwards said there were signs from his daughter - including a white dove which followed him as he walked around Ripon Cathedral one morning.
"You grab on to different signs that you hope is Elle watching over you," he explained.
"It was things like, there were always doves would randomly turn up or I'd be feeling a bit low and I'd be like 'give us a sign Elle will you, give me something to pick me up' and there'd always something random would appear."
The film was nominated for best documentary feature and best UK cinematography awards at the Raindance festival. It is accompanied by music from composer Patrick Bennett, 20, who has created Elle's Theme, which plays throughout.
Mr Edwards said the documentary is part of his aim to create a positive legacy for his daughter.
"It was always about keeping Elle's name alive," he said.
"So whenever Elle's name was mentioned, it would be mentioned in a positive way and not about what happened to her. That was the goal and still is, it will always be the goal."
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