First Christmas without you Dad and I'm heartbroken. I have so many memories of you at Christmas time. I remember all of the car journeys to look at Christmas lights on people's houses. I remember all the board games, monopoly and card games. I remember all the food, your lovely roast potatoes and mashed carrots. I remember as a teenager you getting me Ben and Jerry's cookie dough on Christmas day and me trying it for the first time, I scoffed the whole tub but you always stuck up for me and let me get away with it. I remember a time close to Christmas a few years ago when we visited some lovely beaches and landscapes in the South West together and you loved showing us around. I remember all the thoughtful gifts over the years, even when you didn't have much. I remeber how lovely it was seeing you last Christmas with Sandy, you were so happy. You bought the children some lovely gifts and they had fun playing games with you. The toy you bought Lexie didn't include the figurines so you went out late at night and bought the figurines to go with it. Such a lovely Dad and Grandad. We love and miss you Dad at Christmas and always. Hope you are at peace and enjoying Christmas wherever you are xxx

Love you, think about you all the time. Miss you so very much. Jasmine xxxxx

Dad I miss you constantly. I miss your presence, your unconditional love, your eyes, your smile that would light up your face, your knowledge and intelligence, your advice, your booming voice, your laugh, your care and thoughtfulness. I miss sending you photos and messages and you sending them to me such as all the beautiful beaches and countryside photos you would randomly send through, and I wouldn't have a clue where you were or who you were with, but they would make me smile. I miss seeing what a lovely Grandad you were. When I was younger, I loved sitting on your knee and playing silly games and the ways you would make me laugh. Then as I got older, I loved our long walks, time spent in nature, trips to the beach and the park, games of rounders and trips to the library and museums, firework displays, trips to Blackpool pleasure beach and the illuminations, days spent at the cricket club, games of monopoly and contract whist. I have found memories of our long car journeys, lots of 'quick' de-tours, random conversations with you answering all my questions, you sharing your geographical knowledge of everywhere we drove through and of course your great car music. You moved around so much but you always made an effort to make sure my bedroom felt like home and you gave the most thoughtful gifts. Thank you for making the best roast potatoes I have ever had, you always made sure I got to pick the crispy ones out first, even as an adult. I have inherited so much from you, a strong sense justice and for standing up for myself and others, a love of food, a love for exploring England and Wales and being in nature, an inability to resist a bargain or to throw things away 'just in case', a constantly messy car and a constant pile of clothes in my room. Since losing you we have learnt so much more about you and what you had been up to, we wish you had shared these things with us more so we could have told you how proud we are but hearing these things now has brought us some comfort. Loosing you in the sudden way that we have has left me forever heartbroken. I will never forget you and will love and miss you forever. Thank you for being my dad xxxxxxxxxxx