Robin was ‘my second best friend’ – and I was his second best friend.
When asked who is your first best friend both of us would say we haven’t got a first best friend. It was a kind of joke we had that he started ….typical of his kind of wisdom….it was meant to be inclusive (whereas a ‘best friend’ rules out others). So it means there are many others that are also our second best friends…..all here today.
Robin and Barbara were due to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in 2020…..Robin, again in his kind of crazy wisdom, said ‘lets not wait till then …we can celebrate it in 2019 as you never know what might happen’…so next summer Robin and Barbara have booked a large holiday villa in southern Spain for the whole family…and I know that his son Tom has already booked flight tickets for Lisa and his family. I’m sure they’ll all still go and celebrate Robin’s life – I hope so.
25 years ago Barbara bought Robin a bicycle to celebrate their 25 years of marriage, and it was given as a surprise.. when Robin (and the whole of the clockworkcircus extended family) went to hire a bike at the beginning of their holiday in Southwold, the owner of the hire company (Mr Fisher) brought out this brand new bike…and said it was his (all secretly arranged by Barbara beforehand)!
Surprised and overjoyed he proudly showed off his cycling skills on Walberswick Beach later that afternoon….and going too fast he hit some soft sand and went over the handlebars……we were all watching and I rushed down and was first on the scene….seeing him lying in a tangle of limbs, covered in blood and sand, I bent over him and whispered in his ear…”can I have a go on your bike now?”….. that’s the kind of thing a second best friend does.
Robin you’ve told that story so many times over 25 years that at £1 for every repeat story you must owe £500…
On the night before Robin died in Norfolk, I had the privilege of having a meal in the pub with him and Barbara, Tom and Lisa and Herbie and Hennie, and his grandchild Dottie. I was staying at Tom’s house…and Robin and Barbara were staying in a little cottage closeby. So, sadly, I was there when the terrible phone call came in the morning from Barbara that she “couldn’t wake Robin” and I was again first on the scene with Barbara to try and help…..
It was a traumatic morning and we’ll never forget the role that young Herbie at only 14 years old played in trying to resuscitate Robin when I was rather helpless not knowing my first aid. But all was in vain as Robin had died peacefully in his sleep. After the emergency services had left we all took a turn to go up and sit by him. I went up….I sat there a moment or two reflecting….then whispered into his ear…”hey, my second best friend….can I have your ticket to Spain?”
Robin, I hope you tell that story for another 25 years……goodbye my second best friend.
Stephen Peter Arthur Frean Harrison 