I remember Richard and Adrian kept me sane during my PGCE year in Durham, mainly by taking me to the pub (Oasis blaring out of every speaker) and eating all my coffee and paracetamol for breakfast, but also: educating me with films and pop music that are really not to my taste e.g. Withnail and I, Reservoir Dogs; broadening my country-mouse experience with alco-pops and nightclubs; arguing religion into the small hours. It was at least a term before I realised I’d never had a conversation with him except when he was either several pints along or hung-over.
In the years after that, I remember many fancy dress (including someone dressed for water polo in a blue sheet with polo mints) and Hallowe’en/ birthday parties. He was a portable party at jazz festivals and barbeques, which he incorporated into his ‘southern tours’. I remember the jazz festival with three Richards (then we met another one in the kebab queue in the small hours) and the one he brought Anja to (although she didn’t really like jazz and fell asleep, she says she had a lovely time!).
I remember being shown the cultural highlights of Manchester (mushy peas, a bus ride, a tapas bar and a cocktail bar on the umpteenth floor of the Hilton Hotel). In return we showed him the cultural highlights of Dorset: a pub after 11pm (pitch black, empty car park- “where are all the crowds?”) and took him beagling (he was always open minded enough to try something once)!
The last time we stayed with Richard & Anja was on our journey south after our honeymoon. He got out his photos of our student year, all organised in an album (unlike mine which I have now located in an old shoe box) and we reminisced. I remember him for the intellectual conversations but, above all, for his ability to turn every situation into a laugh. He enriched my life.