Friends

Trinidad & Tobago

England

2 February 2006

I am an old friend of Colin from Watford..

My name is Jared Brown and I attended Watford Boys Grammar School from 1979 until 1984.

During the last year of my time at the school, I was privileged to know Colin and to call him a friend.

I would first of all like to offer my profound sorrows and condolences to the whole of your family, as well as to those who loved Colin and held him dear. I saw the photo of Colin, Jordan and Ethan on Colin's website, and words fail me. I just wish the boys the very best of all life has to offer and I hope in my heart of hearts that they have managed to find that strength that children often have within themselves, to somehow find their way over these past few years. Indeed, I hope you all are finding a way forward, and as I read the words on the index page, "Never missed...always remembered." It would seem that you are.

This news has saddened me deeply despite the passage of time. I suppose that one always assumes friendships to be merely "on hold"  even though the time and distance be great.

I last saw Colin in 1984 I guess. We were 16 years old, he was 4 months my senior. I remember the day he started at the Boys Grammar. We were introduced to Colin, I think by our form tutor Mr Christopher. One of the boys in our group of friends was appointed to be the one that would show Colin around, whilst he got a feel for the school. I cannot remember who it actually was, either myself, or one of the following:  Mark Gwynne, Mike Shaw, Matthew Graham or Jonathan Hill. Anyway, Colin was thus by default, now "in our gang", so to speak.  And a formidable ally he was.  He was immediately at ease in his surroundings, in the new class, with the new comrades, he took it all in his stride with an air of pure effortlessness. It sounds almost embarrassing to say it but it was as though he was already a man, whilst we were still awkward teenage boys. He was instantly likeable. Open, charming, friendly and humorous.

I just have a general memory of a sense of Colin being a warm, solid guy. Dependable, jovial, considerate. Maybe one might say, noble, without sounding too old fashioned. When we were at school, he was a fine influence on our class for a while, old beyond his years. A man among boys. A Prince among Men.

May he rest in Peace.

Yours sincerely,

Jared Brown

Germany

Das schoenste Denkmal, das ein Mensch bekommen kann, steht in den Herzen seiner Mitmenschen.

Albert Schweitzer, 1875-1965 dt.-franz. Arzt, Theologe und Kulturphilosoph

The most beautiful monuments ever erected to honour someone can be found within the hearts of his fellows.

Albert Schweitzer, 1875-1965 German-French medical Doctor, Musician and Philosopher

In Erinnerung an Colin – Remembering Colin

Antonia