Bodge, i've been thinking about you a lot again lately.

it's little things - the cherry tree we planted around the time you died is in fruit again, and the local pigeons are eyeing it up. i'll soon be getting obsessed with chasing them off, and you'd have enjoyed laughing at me for that.

other things - i just bought a shirt that looks like it's made from deckchair fabric. i gave you such a lot of grief for wearing something similar a few years back - it doesn't seem fair that you're not here to extract some revenge and to hear my admission that actually shirts like that do look ok, really.

the latest failings of the england footy team - plus some minor family football triumphs that we've had here recently - you should be around to share in these things [your dad still talks about when we went to wembley to watch graham taylor's lot struggle against holland, and i love him for that]

if you were here now i'd have bought you the latest elbow album [if you'd not already got it] and be banging on about how great it is.
it's about friendships and reminiscence and fond rememberings, so it's probably not surprising that it leaves me thinking about you.

the last track - 'dear friends' - is maybe most appropriate...
"dear friends
you are angels and drunks
you are magi

old friends

you stuck a pin in the map i was in
you are the stars
i navigate home by"

i miss you mate.

50 Peaks for 50 Years

In February this year, Graham would have been 50. I too hope to celebrate my 50th birthday during that same month. Before he died, he and I started to plan a Lake District adventure, involving 50 somethings (mountains, pints of beer ...?). I have decided to see it through, to remember Graham, as my own celebration and also raise money for Teacher Support Network, one of the charities chosen by Towe to receive memorial funds after Graham died.

If you would like to join me on any, all or just a bit of one of the walks, you would be most welcome. The first is on February 5th, Graham's 50th birthday, and is a walk up his favourite hill, Loughrigg. During the year I will include all four peaks over 3000', and finish (hopefully) in September on Helvellyn. There is a mixture of easier and more challenging walks to suit most people, but being peaks I am afraid that they all involve some uphill!

The full list of dates is:
5 & 6 February
30 April, 1 & 2 May
26 & 27 June
27, 28 & 29 August
24 & 25 September

Please email me on chris.saunders@talktalk.net for more details about where I will be walking if you would like to join me.

And if you can sponsor me, please visit my Virgin Money Giving page at:

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/RememberingGraham

Thanks and with all best wishes for 2011

Chris Saunders