The Matt Watkins Message Board

In response to:Post your thoughts

2008-02-17T12:00:26+01:00

Alright mate.

Just a quick one to tell you that Emma broke the toilet in a branch of "Yo! Sushi" in Bur Dubai last week. She had to dash in there on the way home after a really heavy ruby at a place called "Ravi's" on Friday with me, Donna and John.

Impressive, eh?

Laters.

Ash

In response to:Post your thoughts

2007-10-24T12:45:15+02:00

Mate,

Just checking in to say howdy!

Hope all is good for you!

Brunny

In response to:Post your thoughts

2006-09-25T12:24:41+02:00

Still missing you like crazy. Heard 'Gold' by Spandeau Ballet the other day and remembered dancing in the circle at Zanzibar. It's strange that the same memories I laugh at one day are the same ones that make the cry the next as I know there will be no more. Mike talks about you every day but can't find the words to write on here but I know you understand. Miss you mate. Always.
T xx

In response to:Post your thoughts

2006-09-17T17:10:11+02:00

Hi Baby,
I graduate tomorrow! Please be there. I miss you every day!!!

Love love love love Emmalaboo!!!

In response to:Post your thoughts

2006-08-16T17:02:33+02:00

I am sorry to hear of the death of Matt

My deepest sympathy goes to his family and all who knew him

As only an occasssional gig goer I don't have memories of Matt to share with you...

I only heard of this today .. when seducedwomandead sent me an invite to the benefit evening at the med bar tonight

In response to:Post your thoughts

2006-08-14T20:07:23+02:00

Hello Matt moo.

It has taken me all this time to put something on this site. I still forget that you are not around. I wish we had stayed in touch more over the last few years but people move on and there lives change.The one thing i am glad for is the time we all spent together and the friendship we shared.I dont think i ever stopped laughing, mostly at my own expence and you taking the micky!

You really were the one of the nicest guys i have ever met and will cherish your friendship!

Miss you mate

xxxxx

In response to:Post your thoughts

2006-08-09T18:08:15+02:00

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In response to:Post your thoughts

2006-07-27T18:53:00+02:00

I met Matt about 5/6yrs ago at some bloody Punk/Hardcore festival at the Docklands Arena, he was the only one wearing a faintly METAL shirt ('JANE' to be precise), and we spent most of the day mocking the bands (apart from Sick of It All), and proclaiming our love for all things belgium hardcore! What a guy! even then I knew that he was gonna be an awesome mate. Once again he proved his worth by taking me to my first Converge gig in Leicester, I'll never stop loving him for that! Many times I accompanied him and Tony to a variety of London shows where we laughed at Matt on his typical stance wearing a BACKPACK with nothing in it, drink in hand mocking the pit for being a bunch of pussies! and every now and again doing the cardinal sin of taking the CD he had bought at the gig and turned the CD around so that the lettering was UPSIDE DOWN!!!!!!!!!!
He could not stand it! What an absolute legend!

Matt was a true METAL warrior and was seen on many occasions supporting the local gigs of old...................... Hollow, Akbar and SPINE and even managed a few of the more recent namely deadsunrising.

At Matt's wake, Adam (Spine), Emma and I talked about the old days of gigs and mentioned that we could reform our old bands for a one off charity show!

Its taken a while to fully organize but just to let everyone know that ANOTHER gig has been organized in tribute of Matt and to raise even more cash for the Charity.

Everylast penny of this gig will go to charity!!!!
Wednesday 16th August
Medicine Bar, Custard Factory, Digbeth
SPINE, Deadsunrising and NOG (ex-hollow) will be rocking the socks off the people in attendance and raising some money.
Prepare for a particularly storming set from NOG as they will be performing THRASHAOKE (Covers of Metallica, Sepultura, Megadeath etc where we get the audience to grab the mike and participate!)

It would be so good if his family, friends and work colleagues came down to enjoy the night we chose to honour such an amazing guy in the ONLY way we could...............PLAYING METAL and having a good time!

If you need any further info please contact me at copenaction@hotmail.com!

I miss seeing your face at gigs or at Scruffies mate!

In response to:Post your thoughts

2006-07-21T16:47:46+02:00

Just thought I would let you know that I got accepted into the London Marathon 2007 and will be raising as much money as I can for Emma & Rita to put towards Matt's charity.
I recall the email I got from Matt calling me his usual names for pulling out of this years marathon so I have no excuse for next year.

Missing you mate

Rick x

In response to:Post your thoughts

2006-07-16T11:07:06+02:00

Matt,

We raised £301 last nite. Isn't that fantastic?! The lads did really well. Was the proud big sister.

Love you,

Em
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

In response to:Post your thoughts

2006-07-15T15:46:44+02:00

Babe,

I hope you enjoy the gig tonight as much as we will! I'll let you know how much we raise.

Love ya!

Em xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

PS. And's going to play that song he wrote for you. Can't wait for you to hear it! x

In response to:Post your thoughts

2006-07-14T10:44:39+02:00

Hello all,

The total raised from the funeral is...

£3665.95!!!!!!!!!!! This is fantastic! A BIG thankyou to you all!

We don't yet know how much has been raised from our Snowdon walk and the great midlands run last month but let's just say that it's a LOT!!! Thanks for all your sponsorship. I know Matt would be extremely proud of us all!

For anyone who doesn't know there is a gig tomorrow-Sat 15th July at Sutton Town Football club on Coles Lane. Tickets are £3 on the door and all proceeds are going to mountain rescue. Bar open from 8 til 1.

Hope to see you there,

Em

In response to:Post your thoughts

2006-06-29T21:13:23+02:00

You will be proud of me dude, I bought Underoath's new album and it's excellent!

Missing you

Graham
xxx

In response to:Post your thoughts

2006-06-19T14:53:09+02:00

Matt,

This is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to write. You were/are my soul mate, my best friend, my angel. We had so many fantastic times ahead of us and I cannot believe they are not going to be a reality. I feel like my future has died with you. You have taken a piece of me with you and I feel like I will never be the same, I definitely know life wont be the same without you here to brighten it up. I miss your smile, your laugh, your lovely voice. I am so happy we had so many great times together and I feel so lucky that you chose to spend your life with me. Even though our time together was too short I would not change the last four years for anything. There are just no words to describe the shock or devastation I feel.

Here are a few memories that will last forever. Just a few as I don’t have room to write them all down and I fear I would probably be here for ever if I did. They are in no particular order so here goes:

1) Do you remember when you took me on an all expenses paid trip to London? One evening we decided to go and see The Royal Tenenbaums. It was the worst film we’d ever seen! The whole cinema was rolling around the aisles with laughter and we just didn’t get it. You took your shoes off to stop yourself falling asleep and I fell asleep anyway!
2) On that same holiday we decided to kill some time before catching the train home by going to the Tate Modern. What a humungous waste of time that was! We both came to the conclusion that the guy who stuck a glass of water on a shelf and called it a tree probably had something other than water coming out of his taps when he turned them on! Do you remember how much we laughed when, following our visit, we heard about the ‘artist’ who demonstrated their talents with a bag of rubbish only for it to be cleared away by the cleaners?!
3) The way you said hello babby in your cute voice. I know no-one can hear the way you said it but it went something like this-“Hello babby!”
4) Camping in the rain in Scotland.
5) Climbing mountains in the mist.
6) Damn Midges!!!!!
7) Your love of your car Renee-who by her third incarnation had become a bit of a wee beastie!
8) 31st August 2001-The day I realised I was falling in love with you. We were chatting at Anna’s house warming party and you had to go because you had to be up for Mike and Tracey’s wedding. I didn’t want you to leave!
9) Your tattoos and how every one was going to be your last. I really liked them and they made you happy. That was the most important thing to me-your happiness and how I would do anything for that!
10) Whenever the gang would get together and you, Baldy and Mike would sit down as soon as we were through the front door and talk about your next tattoo!
11) How happy we were when we saw the castle we were going to get married in. I couldn’t wait to see you in your kilt-you would have looked fantastic! Just to let you know my dress was not bright pink…it was gold, and no, it didn’t have big puffy shoulders. What it did have was a bit of sparkle…and yes the train and veil were both very long!
12) And speaking of sparkle-do you remember what I was like whenever we went to by a decoration for our Christmas tree. I would always go for the glitteriest one in the store! You would be following behind me saying “Stay away from the sparklies!” You said I was like a Magpie.
13) When we first went to view our flat when it had been built. Before we left you told me to keep my cool. That lasted for about three seconds because as soon as we walked in we were both like a couple of excited school children!
14) The day we moved into our flat and your car broke down. We had to do all the moving in my car.
15) When we had moved all our stuff up two flights of stairs and in 25 degrees of heat only to realise that the heating was on!
16) When you asked me to marry you on Christmas morning. How you hid the ring box in the waist band of your boxers!
17) Before we started going out together, how we always ended up at the end of the night talking to each other-locked in a world where there was just the two of us. Apparently everyone could tell how we felt about each other before we did!
18) When you accidentally ate duck when we were out for a Chinese with the folks.
19) How pale you always went when the subject of children came up! I only did it to see you squirm-it was really funny!

The truth is that I could go on and on and on. I think people already know that you really were as much fun to live with as you were as a friend…No! You were more fun! (Sorry guys!) I want you to know that your friends have been fantastic! You really would be proud of them and how they are looking after me and have been there literally at the drop of a hat. I am so grateful for that because at the moment I really don’t know how life goes on-moment by moment I guess.
Well what a ramble-You always did love my chatterbox ways!

Know that I’ll love you forever and miss you always!
Em
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

In response to:Post your thoughts

2006-06-17T08:32:17+02:00

I have been meaning to leave a message for a while now, but just couldn't bring myself to do it. One of the hardest things I have had to do is coming to terms with the fact that Matt has gone.

He was without a doubt one of the most;caring, funny, genuine, supportive people I have ever had the privilge of knowing.

I loved Matts ability of taking the pee and still making you laugh. We discussed tattoos on many occasion, of course, I always chickened out. He was alot braver than I was. I never forgot his suggestion for me to get the bayeaux tapestry tattooed on my backside!(Only you could have got away with that one Matty!)

Since 16, he was my mentor of "Rock!" always advising me of the best places to go (Edwards and The Bitter End) and not to go (Snobs). And the music I should listen to, which we never agreed on, I never forgot "the great Radiohead debate of 96".

Matt always managed to come out with original comments, such as "ZZ top are the best band in the world" and about town being "the best place to work".

Matt, I miss you. You are one of my best friends, I will never for get you.

Love always,
Anna x x x

In response to:Post your thoughts

2006-06-02T23:20:30+02:00

May I use this site to wish all the many folk going over to Snowdon tomorrow and climbing the Mountain in Matt`s memory a safe and memorable day, I am sure you will raise lots of money in Matt`s memory. I know Matt will be watching from above and feel very proud that he has such good friends. I did not know Matt, but hearing Claire talking about him, I know just how much he was thought about and loved.
So sorry you were taken so young Matt, but, With what I have read and heard about you, you will certainly be making and impression in the after life.
God Bless you Matt
Claire`s Mum.

In response to:Post your thoughts

2006-05-30T09:27:41+02:00

Matt you Metal Freak,

I remember meeting you for the 1st time after our band Mainline had just finished a set at some ropey dive in Erdington, and you came and bought a demo off there and then. Friends for life from that moment.
Your inability to cuss me (and my mum down) never ceased to amaze me and when you and gra got together, I never stood a chance.... but I loved every moment. In fact, at your 30th bash, I threw a few gra's way for you. (The punk assed FREAK)

Cheers for all the nice advice, sleepovers, pile on's, slaps, tattoo talk, concerts, festivals, lifts, Eurovision, Stars in their Eyes Final, Filth, The Almighty, Music talk,banter and so much more.

Gotta share one with everyone, Never laughed so hard from when you sat on Julie's garden furniture and broke all the chairs (there may have been several of us sitting in the same chair but still) followed by you and gra kung fu'ing my ass to the ground.

And who can I look to when we take the mick out of the other gra and his eyebrows.

As everyone can tell, Matt was such a part of our lives that we will all take something from him and let his legacy live on.

Im already clicking everyones clothes at work and calling our clients freaks.

Cheers Matt for the endless laughter and time that I will never forget.

It's still hard to read these blogs and write this but I take comfort knowing that we will meet up and diss our music tastes (Kelly Clarkson rocks!!!)

See you around Punk, Heaven has gained a fantastic guy!

Rick / Hippy

In response to:Post your thoughts

2006-05-24T19:25:43+02:00

HAPPT 30th BIRTHDAY!
I know thirty was a swear word in our house but I've said it anyway!
Love you forever and more than you will ever know. Miss you always!
Em
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

In response to:Post your thoughts

2006-05-24T11:36:33+02:00

So many happy memories when I think of you Matt Moo! I hope you realise that so many of us felt that when ever you turned up to nights out or parties etc we all just knew we were in for a good night. You had this way with people, I can’t describe it but everyone who has been lucky enough to know you will know exactly what I mean!!!!!!!!

Just a few memories of mine, but I could go on and on:

· Freaks!!!!
· Sick in the Head Man!!!!!
· London – in Covent Garden, having a drink in Belushe’s Bar and the Women’s Wimbledon final was on (it was between the Williams sisters), the TV in the bar had no sound, so you kindly provided the grunts and screams for us!
· The General banter of abuse between friends!
· Your low-rise trousers and lucky pants, Animal!
· Me giving you grief about your tattoos and music choice, you calling me a girlie ‘EMO’ fan!
· Your emails of abuse and ‘metal’ vibes advice
· Your last text to me that gave the lame excuse that you and Em’s couldn’t come to Eddies, as the taxi fare was too expensive from Scotland.
· Nottingham, letting us kip over after ‘rock city’ and how we always had to bring the milk and bread, oh and your mom’s Tupperware of stews!
· The endless hours of my life you dragged me round music shops, in London and Nottingham, looking for that one infamous CD you just might not have got yet – impossible!
· Our phone call at Christmas when you told me about you asking Emma to marry you
· Donnington and watching you eat cold canned food, bog roll bandanas, baked bean bullets, KISS, yeah baby!
· Golden Showers – Bishop Vesey, ohhh the glowing cheeks, I love you too Matt Moo, you drunken little bum!
· Diet Coke please!
· London, the free gig to see Limp bizkit, you standing on our chair! Thought it was going to be a repeat performance of the garden furniture-breaking incident at ‘me Julie’s’.
· The bitter end - Baldy dancing! (sorry baldy) and original fancy dress costumes, humm Steven Segal???
· Eurovision song contest parties at your mom’s – Rita sorry we used to eat all your cakes, but they were the best!!!! Come on Croatia!!!!!

Matt moo, moo la moooo – I shall miss you and it isn’t the same here without you, but you won’t be forgotten, thank you for being my friend, thank you for touching my life!

See ya again one day I hope and by then heaven will be ‘rockin’ knowing you!

Rest in Peace

Lj xxxx

In response to:Post your thoughts

2006-05-24T10:43:14+02:00

Happy birthday Matt, hope you have a good party up there! We shall be all thinking about you and will have a few drinks in your honour! Love from all your friends

xxxxxx

In response to:Post your thoughts

2006-05-22T23:46:23+02:00

Matmoo

still in a kinda state of shock.....still cant believe i wont see you again.

You were one of the first people that made me feel wlecome in the Bitter end all them years ago. When i started seeing baldy you and him were good friends even then and you welcomed me into your life like we had always been friends, thank you so much for that.

We used to come to your moms house and raid the chocolate drawer and you never used to mind, and what sort of a person would not be mad at me when i dropped something heavy (think it was a brick) on your tortoise. it was the tortoise squeeling that alerted you to its fate....thankfully it survived the event. i did confess years later that it was a brick i dropped on it, you laughed your ass off..

I always remember that one christmas in the Bishop Vesey when i first saw you drunk. you were drinking the fatefull rum and orange and your face went so red with alcohol and laughing i though you were gonna explode..... .

Thanks for always taking the piss out of me, strange i know, but with a click of my clothing and calling me 'bloodclot' it always made me smile, even if you had dragged me around Tempest for the best part of 2 hours.

Matt it aint gonna be the same without you, and i can assure you that i will be at eddies on your birthday dancing the 'baldy' dance to pantera's walk and getting drunk making a fool of myself...all for you!!!

See you sometime, and hopefully heaven is playing METAL!!!

love ya louise xxx

In response to:Post your thoughts

2006-05-19T13:30:55+02:00

To my Kung Fu brother,
Peace and Respect!
Love you man.

Baldy
xxx

In response to:Post your thoughts

2006-05-18T01:03:59+02:00

Here we are, Ron and myself, still not believing reality.

Matt was the perfect partner in every way for my neice Emma - (having not been blessed with children, she is like a daughter I never had), and losing Matt is like losing a son.

I will always remember the first time we met on the day after boxing day at Park House in Sutton Park - sounds posh, but it is a 'pub' - and he walked down the drive with his jeans, characteristically, at half mast.

We were very impressed that he only had a diet coke to drink! (or was it a diet pepsi?); whatever, we were impressed!!!! There are not that many that can abstain from alcohol after meeting the family!!

In fact, the only time I saw him drink alcohol was when we suprised Emma & Matt with champagne on their engagement (though I believe Emma had the largest share!)

One of the pictures above shows Matt in an armchair at Maggie's in Solihull - how Ron and I had a laugh with Matt that day; when asked by others when he might, or not, 'pop' the question to Emma, Ron & I assured him that so long as he did it before their 13th anniversary of being together it would be fine (yes folks, that's how long it took Ron & I to tie the knot!)

Upon meeting Rita, she immediately became part of the family - and will always be so, always a smile on her face and a good laugh - so this must be where Matt's good humour was nurtured to blossom into the wonderful person we all love ......... and miss so dearly.

For those of you walking Snowdon on 3 June, as keen walkers ourselves, we will be thinking of you - wish we could be there, but will be out of the country.

May Matt's memory be a guiding light and inspiration to us all.

Lynne & Ron Powell

In response to:Post your thoughts

2006-05-12T17:01:26+02:00

Matty moo moomin pie..

I still cant believe your not here anymore.
I'll miss you so much. I am just happy to have known you and have so many funny, happy memories of you.

Moo, you made me laugh to the point of pain!! Whether it be your caterpillar dance, destruction of my mom an dads garden furniture, constant taking the p*ss (and yet getting away with it every single time!) tormenting of baldy at the memorabilia fairs-'spesh when we lose him (oh, he is prone to wander!) you shouting "baldy!!" and getting about thirty no-haired gents look your way!

So many great memories, so many laughs. I think that is what you have left with all of us moo.You definately made a lasting impression.

Love you moo, i'll see you up there someday.

Love from, Julie moo xxxx

In response to:Post your thoughts

2006-05-10T23:13:43+02:00

Matt,

I know that I did not know you for very long at all – maybe just under two years, but I feel to have known you for ages. You were so friendly, easy going, accepting and made me feel like an old friend.

I knew on the first occasion we met - that you and Emma were both lovely genuine people – always seeming to be smiling, welcoming and happy about life.

I will never forget the pub quiz’s and the team name that was......and probably will remain “The BVF’s” – I wont tell everyone here what that means – I am far too embarrassed like you were the last time - when I had forgotten what it meant and Emma had to remind me as you went all shy :o)

Nor will I forget you taking the mick out of me for forgetting about the eclipse I had seen on the news earlier in the week either – not the hurricane which I had thought – whoops - and the mick taking of the creases in Tony’s new crinkly coat - mind you, you probably knew he was never fond of ironing! :o)

There was so much mick taking when everyone got together – I wonder if you made a wish as Emma advised us to do..... (When both you and I were picking on Tony and came out with the same one-liner – Jinx!)

I will never forget you and I am really glad that you came into my life and lit it up - like I am sure you did for many others. Thank-you so much.

I know that you will be watching over us now – still laughing, still smiling, still taking the mick and still dreaming about that curry on the bar menu!

I will miss you - and my heart is truly with Emma, your mum and everyone who loves you.

Take care until the next time we meet.....wherever and whenever it may be.

Love Claire x x

In response to:Post your thoughts

2006-05-10T19:26:08+02:00

Matt. This is by far the hardest thing I have had to do. You are without a doubt the funniest person I have ever met. We’ve had so many laughs – at each other and with each other. We met about 12 years ago when I started going out with Mike and the banter never really stopped since. You have a great knack of sarcasm that only you could ever get away with. I remember circuit training every Saturday morning until we were nearly sick – but we still went back every week and still we never seemed to get any better at it!!! Do you remember when Andy fell over? Those tricep press-ups and me trying to hide at the back of class and pretend to do them ‘cause they were too damn hard! How many times did we re-consider going in when we knew it was going to be Alison’s class!! oooohhh I remember you and Graham being late for my wedding – arriving after me and running past me at the church trying to hide your face and shouting I can’t see you. Do you remember the cat poo story when we lived at The Riddings? How bad did I feel when I realised I had been sending crude text messages to you only to find out weeks later when I called you that I had got someone else’s mobile number…that poor girl. You were the first person to send your congratulations when Zack was born – a text I’ll never delete. Your games nights with Baldy and Mike. Do you remember that night me and Em went out and got hammered? You and Baldy ordered Chinese while Mike came to pick us up and how we fell through the door when we got back. How Em tried to offer you the scraps from her plate …”there’s some good stuff in there”… How we took the mickey out her for that! I couldn’t have been happier when you announced your engagement and I was so honoured that Em asked me to be her bridesmaid and that you wanted Zack to be a paige-boy. I remember our last night together – you Em Baldy and us and we played Cranium….you had to hum a Robbie Williams tune and me and Em just didn’t get it. You sent me endless texts the next day trying to hum other songs. How much you hated that song by the Rasamus and how much I loved it. Do you remember when I dedicated it to you at the Rock Café? Things I’ll never forget… 1) Weeties – our word for sweeties. We couldn’t watch a film without any and we used to go mad at the cinema for our pick ‘n’ mix. 2) Growler – just another one of our words 3) Tickle tickle – from The Witches of Eastwick. Had to be done with actions of course! 4) Miss chickpea – from the film Nell which you never saw but used to crack me up doing an impression! 5) Mo-fo 6) Big nawks – one of our words 7) Nights down the Bitter End 8) Reflex for birthday’s 9) That woman from friends – when we couldn’t remember where we had seen a woman in a film before and I text you the next day to say exactly what series and episode of Friends. You really took the mickey out of me! 10) Traditional Christmas Chinese round ours 11) Welcome to Collingwood – you lent it to me and Mike and we thought it was rubbish. Everytime you recommended something else we’d ask whether it was as good as Welcome to Collingwood!! And by the way…have you seen Starsky and Hutch? We went to see it at the cinema with you but you kept forgetting and kept asking us if we’d seen it! I guess you won with the tattoo’s as I’ll have to let Mike have another now won’t I?!! You’ll always be with us – you’ll live on in the million and one stories we tell of you and the fabulous times we all had together. I feel so lucky to have been a part of your life. Thanks for letting me be such a close friend. Love you loads Tracey xx

In response to:Post your thoughts

2006-05-10T18:15:44+02:00

So close no matter how far
couldn't be much more from the heart
forever trusting who we are
and nothing else matters

May angels forever watch over you Matt xxx

In response to:Post your thoughts

2006-05-09T16:37:49+02:00

Matt
Even throught the sadnees of the last few weeks, the memories of you still bring a smaile to my face, these are memories that will live on in me for ever.
It was such a privilage to spend so much of my life around you, who can ever forget out trips shopping and to gigs, turning up without a clue where we were going but having such a laugh (Speakeasy's, what a place!)
standing on the edge of the pit sipping our coke in true MGU style!
You were a real inspiration with the way you live your life, not just to thos close to you but to everyone who was lucky enough to come into contact with you, you were never too busy to be there for your freinds, and i am so grateful for that. Im gonna miss you so much mate, but im sure we'll meet up again oneday for one final beatdown!
Goodbye mate and rest in peace, ill never forget you.
Tony xx

In response to:Post your thoughts

2006-05-08T21:12:59+02:00

Matt, Moo, Bunny I am going to miss you so much. We had so many good times together laughing all the time, people watching (and taking the p*** out of them), shouting at the FREAKS!!!!! in Edwards and XL's. There are just so many it would take me years to write all of them down. I will never forget the monthly trips to London to visit you where for some strange reason we ended up singing every sentence we spoke to each other. There were the holidays we had. Gran Canaria where I cleaned up your mess on the coach when we were on the way home from a so called organised p*** up and then carried you up 150 steps back to the apartment (I would still have done the same for you now). Costa Del Sol where we met Manos Sparros the friendly sparrow and you got quite attached to some monkeys. There are just so many good times that we had and I am deeply heart broken that there will be no more. You will always be a big part of my life and I will love you forever, you were the best mate anybody could have, another brother. Gray, G, Bunny xxx

In response to:Post your thoughts

2006-05-04T10:42:07+02:00

Matt and family

This is really difficult

When Andy asked me to join the 3 of you to climb the Horseshoe I was more than happy, not just from the fact that I thought I would enjoy the walk, but also because I enjoyed your and your friends' company. I knew it would be fun and a laugh.

You obviously loved been in the hills - comments as we went through Betws-y-Coed ( What a great place to live) confirmed this.

Your delight on climbing Crib- Goch was great to see and we were all in great spirits as we walked down, the jokes (mostly at Andy's expense) on driving, food etc were coming thick and fast.

We will never really know what happened, but I know you were happy to be where you were. We all tried as hard as possible to rescue you. The mountain rescue team were fantastic, they risk their lives voluntarily with no funding, without them it is possible it would have been 3 of us.

It is hard to come to terms with what happened, hard enough for us who were there, how Emma and your family are coping I can't imagine.

I like Chris don’t think you suffered, people who know these things far better than I who were helping told us.

I only saw you and Emma together once but I could see, as everybody says you were made for each other and more.

People at your work have been brilliant - I know supporting Chris and Andy who are struggling to come to terms with everything.

My warmest and deepest sympathy to Emma and your family

From your new friend

Brett