The short time we have known Richard has been enough to have us appreciate what a gentle man he was, with an endless curiosity and great sense of humour. Richard was an intellectual powerhouse who was passionate about people, places and society and always ready for an exciting conversation whenever we met in the garden.

The most powerful impression Richard left us with is that of a man full of life and youthful spirit. One of our first memories of Richard when we moved to The Old Rectory is when he joined our two little boys for a football match in the garden the first time he met them. What a first impression – he became a young boy himself! But maybe our favourite memory of him is when he and Jenny arrived back from one of their many trips abroad with their rucksacks, like two students back from a study tour. What a fantastic couple they were!

Richard’s passing has left a gap in our little community in the Rectory and he will be missed dearly by us all but we believe that the best consolation is that Richard had achieved so much in his life and that he lived it to the fullest. Hopefully this will be a consolation also to Jenny, Mark and Sarah. Our thoughts and deepest wishes are with you all.

Lind and Niko, The Old Rectory