Hard to reconcile the effect of that visit. Hard even to write about it. Here was one of my most lovable, talented friends, music and so much humour in his soul, refuter of the benefits of all things technical that weren't related to music or motorbikes..... looking so fragile and lost.
Yet he was lucid enough then for a few seconds at a time to know who I was and I recognised pleasure in his eyes at seeing me. It just about broke my heart.
We spent the afternoon together with very little said but it didn't matter.
It was hard to say goodbye when I left his bedside...so I didn't.....I kissed him and told him I would see him again and he took my hand, kissed it in return and I walked away.
At college in the sixties he managed to enroll a 'mythical' student he called Dave Stroller, who over the years, cropped up now and again in conversations, letters and even sent Fraser and me a telegram at our wedding in 1995. No more now though.
 |
| August 1995..my wedding day |
He was the first person to take me fishing and I actually caught a fish...no idea what it was...but it was a fish.
I left wildflowers on the dashboard of his Metropolitan, which stayed there for a while. He wrote a poem about them once upon a time.
I should have been in touch more often, taken more care to stay in contact. Still no regrets.... just fond and happy memories.
So now it is time to say goodbye. He died peacefully yesterday 29th July at 14.10 leaving a huge gap in the lives of his family and so many of us who knew him.
We will miss his friendship, talent, jokes and his passion for the river, the blues and motorbikes.
And here for all who knew him.....no more tears let's celebrate his life, love and music.
