Dear Jude,
Unfortunately, we’ve never met, but I (like many of the people that have posted on this site) first met Chris at Aston University in 1988. We were on the same engineering course and became good friends almost immediately. We used to buddy up for coursework and we both worked for Shell in Chester for our industrial placement year (where we shared a house). We were given the nicknames “White Bread” and “Brown Bread” as we were the “sandwich” students!
As I’m sure you’ve gathered from all the other memoirs, time spend with Chris was always incredibly exciting, fun and spontaneous. I’ll never forget a very drunken weekend in Stoke where I think I learnt every rude Stoke FC song there was. We ended up staying with your great-granddad which was another unforgettable experience. Then there was the day he went out to buy a pot plant and came back with a computer (which in 1988 was a rare thing). I also will never forget a weekend spent in a static caravan in north Wales where he tried to teach me to say “Axminster carpets” while burping. And another day where we spent more than 8 hours changing the car horn on a red fiat panda that he had borrowed from your granddad. In fact, (as everyone has testified) most of the times spent with Chris were unforgettable. There are so many stories (not all involving alcohol), but most of them will have to wait until you’re older!
I’ve included a few pictures from our time at Aston University (don’t we all look young?).
Your dad was a very special man who bought humour and love to everyone he met. I guess you will have difficult moments in the years ahead, but you have your dad’s genes and he wouldn’t want you to be sad, just celebrate all the things he was. There are 3 things I’ll always remember about Chris; his love of life, his love for his family and friends and his terrible cheesy grin! I think you should adopt the first 2 only!
I wish you and your mum all the best for the future, your dad may be gone but he will never be forgotten.
Amar.