When clients become friends
For a few years back in the "noughties" I assisted the West Somerset Railway in a number of planning matters. David Holmes, representing the the WSR, was assigned to me as my point of contact. I was not to know then that David would become a friend, letting me ride the footplate on the Santa Express and cooking me bacon on the coal shovel. For such pleasures, he tried to get me to join the Cutting Back Crew but this girl enjoyed her lazy Saturdays and did my utmost to be unavailable! David kept in touch over the years, waxing lyrical about his work travels to far off countries. We normally caught up every 6 months or so. My last "where in the world are you now?" email returned an unpleasant surprise. David had been diagnosed with cancer and was travelling a different road. It is with huge sadness I learned on Armistice Day that David had lost his fight. I attended his funeral today to pay my sombre respects - for we met for dinner in the summer and David took me for a spin in the vintage Jag he had. There was life and laughter in the not-so-old dog and that is how I remember him.