Paul was always three months older than me and we became friends at Kingshurst County Primary School, a mere 52 years ago! We did not always share classes but we followed concurrent paths through Kingshurst County Junior and Coleshill Grammar school. Paul worked hard at school. I remember fondly regularly visiting Paul when he and his Mum and Dad lived above the parade of shops in Kingshurst. We would play marbles in the car park out the front of the shops. Paul had a “telephone toy” which was essentially a speaker/microphone about the size of a fist attached to each end of a 20 foot wire. We would put our school haversacks over our heads so we couldn’t hear or see each other normally and talk to each other from opposite ends of the room through this contraption. You had to either speak or listen to the device, so it was a good lesson in taking turns. In the 60’s, this was cutting edge technology. Well for us kids anyway! Paul moved down the road in Kingshurst to Silverbirch Avenue, where Paul was the proud owner of a Reel-to-reel tape recorder. We could record our own voices and get the Pick-of-the-Pops from the radio. This machine was of pretty good quality and was before cassette tapes came popular. Paul and I both learned to swim at Woodcock Street baths – his Dad Stan would take us every Saturday morning. Paul wasn’t much into football, but he loved going to the Birmingham Speedway. In our early teens, Paul’s Dad would take us in his one-of-a-kind NSU car to the Perry Bar stadium to watch such stars as Phil Crump and, of course, the Birmingham Brummies with the local hero – the big fella – Arthur Browning. We loved that high octane smell. We were keen conker bashers, and would sneak into Smiths Wood (a lot bigger in those days) to scrump horse chestnuts. We would play down by the rather smelly River Cole. However, while the Chelmsley Wood estate was being built, on the weekends or whenever they weren’t working, we would cross the Chester Road and play on the building site. There was a lot of bare dirt and lots of little rainwater streams to divert and dam up. The best times, and on reflection therefore the most dangerous, was when there were deep two-to-four feet deep foundation holes which would fill up with water. We would toss scrap 4-by-4 timber pieces caber-style into the pools to get the biggest splash. Wet and muddy. Our mothers loved us! At Coleshill Grammar – I have to say “Grammar”, as it didn’t change to a Comprehensive until Paul and I were in the fifth form - we had the same home class. As an example, at age 13, with Mr Atkinson as third form teacher, I would be sitting at the desk immediately in front of Paul. Paul would sit at the desk at the back of the class with his best friend Richard Smith, the highly academic Stephen Till, and a couple of other lads. The more “naughtier” lads were “encouraged” to sit at the front desks, so it was a back-handed compliment that Paul occupied the back row. It was a co-ed school, but boys and girls tended not to share desks. The boys would run a secret ballot as to which girl in the same class was favoured. Of course, it didn’t stay secret for long... I’m pleased to say that Paul and I shared similar tastes in girls – well the girls in our class anyway. I will not name names to protect the innocent! Later that year, Paul showed comradeship beyond the call of duty when he was an important member of the “Protect-Graham” task force. This was Coleshill Grammar’s answer to deal with some personal bullying which was generally too embarrassing to talk about. In our teenage years, Paul and I were keen train-spotters. We would hours trackside and would visit such exotic locations as the Tyesley Railway yards (and museum) and the Railway Sheds at Buxton. We never told our parents about the day our nimble feet helped us survive a mugging at Saltley Juction. We were more concerned about having our track-bashing excursions curtailed than by any emotional scarring. We did learn one thing though – carry a cheap wallet with a small amount of mug-money! The parallels in our lives continued when Paul and Janet started going serious. I was in my first serious relationship as well at the time. Paul and Janet continued, whereas I took a while longer to find my life partner. However, Paul was a kind of trendsetter for me, and consequently a real and positive influence in my life. If I needed guidance as to what I could expect from family life, from being a father to two girls, he was a role model. I was so glad Sue and I were still I the UK to share in the excitement of Helen and Claire being born. Paul was so proud. How to tell the different twin? Paul would comment that Claire was the slightly longer taller one with smaller head and Helen had darker hair with a rounder face… Although Paul and I lived on other sides of the planet for many years, we kept in regular contact. I fondly recall Paul and family staying with us for a couple of nights in Penge (in S.E. London) in July 1996 we all enjoyed Crystal Palace Park and talking in the tiny back garden till the small hours of the morning! It was a testament to Paul’s (and of course Janet’s) social skills that the neighbour’s joined in on subsequent nights! At the time, the twins were almost 11 years old and Michelle was approaching two years old. Michelle had a ceramic model dinosaur to paint. Following the twins tutelage, imagine our shock when this vicious model T-Rex got pink lips. Paul’s advice? “Just wait till Michelle gets to her teenage years…” Kira and Michelle’s favourite book “Lost in Slumberland” was donated by Paul and the girls. It is a unique book where there are alternate ending storylines for the character Bluehat. It still occupies pride of place on Kira’s bookcase, and is a constant reminder of our connections. When Helen and Claire were sixteen, Paul explained the various merits of affording a family trip to The United States. His family’s financial decision was to prioritise what could well be a last family holiday before tertiary education kicked in. Paul’s rationale helped to convince me on the value of an extended family UK and Europe trip five years ago. In modern commercial-speak, that would be called “Positive-influencing”! We were so delighted and honoured when Paul suggested and convinced Helen, Claire and Di to visit us in Australia as part of their “3 Girls, 3 Months, 3 Hair-straighteners” tour. I had often imagined Paul and Janet making the trip one day as well. The parallels in our lives continued. Both Paul and my mother were called Enid – a fact that would lead to pleasant confusion at times. The Enid’s had a common church bond as well. And sadly, they both passed away within months of each other. From my eyes, it was obvious that Paul was well-loved by Janet and by Helen and Claire. For that reason alone, he was a lucky man. There is much to be thankful for his life. I am proud to have been his life-long friend and grateful to have been able to share parts of his life. I am richer for the experience.