Liz Donnelly, a former reporter on The World at One, has died.  Her funeral took place today, April 22 2009.  After leaving the BBC Liz went to Channel 4 and her colleague there, Jon Snow, wrote this tribute on his blog:

We cremated my good friend and former reporter colleague Liz Donnelly today.

She blazed a trail for women war correspondents, against great resistance both here and at the BBC. She also had the misfortune to suffer from MS.

She had integrity, verve, and was a true journalist. Alas, illness cut her off in her prime 15 years ago.

Being budget day, I had to scoot out there on a motorbike taxi – a remarkable invention that ought by now to have caught on. It’s allowed in bus lanes and means, for example, that a 35-minute taxi journey from my office to the Kensal Green crematorium was executed in 16 minutes.

I would never want to be at the front end of the thing, but I love being a passenger.

It was a good and fitting service, but I hate the way crems drop the curtain at the end. It leaves my sympathising with Sikhs, who seek permission for open-air cremations.

A jolly good bonfire would be a lot better than pretending it hasn’t happened.