I've known David all my life.  My parents moved to the house next door to his parents in Owlsmoor and they had me when David was just over 1 year old.    2 years later along came Debbie and then a month later my brother Paul.   My parents moved to Woodley when Paul was 6 months old but our families stayed close and we spent countless Sundays at each others houses playing in the garden or with each others toys.  We'd always end up having a special "tea" in the evening.  Every Christmas Eve we would meet up at Ye Olde Rose Inne in the centre of Wokingham which was a Berni Inn back then.  We'd always get there just before it opened (back then pubs closed after lunch and didn't reopen until 6pm) so we could get a table for 8.  After the meal we would alternate each year and go back to one house to see the decorations.  We spent lots of holidays together in Cornwall and South Wales and one year Paul and I were fascinated with the outside toilet in the house David and Debbie were staying in in Cornwall.  Loads of happy memories playing on the beach, in the sea and then meals out at the end of the day. 

And of course the dinghy incident stays in my memory.  I can't remember whose dinghy it was but we all took turns with David taking us out in the dinghy at Falmouth.  And then when myself and Debbie were with David (Paul was waiting for his turn watching from the beach) and a fair distance from the beach the dinghy suddenly deflated.  In seconds we all ended up in the water.  David was a hero that day, he grabbed me, Debbie, the oar and the dinghy.  I was a fairly good swimmer as he was but Debbie wasn't.  I said I'd swim for help and set off.  David kept hold of Debbie, (and the oar and dinghy, why he didn't let them go I don't know!) and made slow progress into the shore.  Paul had spotted that we were in trouble and Mike went into the sea to help.  I got back to the beach and David and Mike brought Debbie back in.   It was a day that could have gone so wrong but thanks to David we were all okay.  Although Paul was a bit miffed that he'd missed out on his turn on the water.

As we all grow up and moved around the country our families have continued to be close and have enjoyed many days out, meals out and time together over the years.

David is so missed xxx