Richard was the oldest of my four cousins who lived in Wales. I always enjoyed seeing him when he visited us in Dorset, not least because he looked so much like my father, Cyril Gibbs. He was also very warm, witty and clever, and Ted and I shared his interest in History, rugby and cricket, as well as also being fans of Tom Paxton. I was always pleased to receive  e-mails from Richard. They always made me laugh.

When he came to Tarrant Rushton on what he called his Autumn State Visits, he always brought flowers and a couple of bottles of wine. There were a few adventures. When he was in his forties and keen on keeping fit, he went off for a run and was gone for such a long time we grew worried. Finally the phone rang. He had no idea where he was (miles away!) but had homed in on a pub called The Green Man. So all was well and we were able to go and collect him. We also lost him once while exploring Egdon Heath in the Hardy country. 

He was a lovely man, and a devoted and proud father and grandfather. He’ll be greatly missed by all his family who loved him so much.