Hi Jude
I’ve just spent an emotional evening looking through some old photos of your Dad and it really brought home to me how many of the most memorable, and happiest days of my life, that I shared with him.
I met him on my first day of University and immediately we formed a close friendship. Over the years we would end up sharing a house, holidaying together, with a fair few parties sprinkled in between. Time spent with your Dad was always fun, he had a wonderful way of lighting up even the most mundane of occasions with his sense of humour (those laughter lines were made from many years of continual use!), his generosity of spirit and his huge appetite for life.
Your Dad was best man at my wedding in 2001 (he was responsible for getting me together with my wife but that’s another story!) and as you can see from the photo below he drove me to the Church in my Dad’s vintage car. Unfortunately on the way to the Church the car broke down and I began to panic. Your Dad, cool as anything said, “Don’t worry youth, hop in the driver’s side & I’ll push”. So resplendent in full morning suit, and grinning at the almost stationary traffic on both sides of the road, the boy from Stoke got me out of a hole!
As to what your Dad would want to pass on to you. Be kind, be thoughtful, don’t take yourself too seriously and take on his philosophy of “a friends friend is, by definition, your friend”.
I’ll miss your Dad more than I can say, but like everyone on this site I feel immensely privileged to have known him. Simply, he was the best mate anyone could ever wish for.
Pearty