I know nothing about animals and diseases, but I went to school as a child in Nigeria, taught in Burundi, and have just spent a few anxious days waiting for my son to return from Kenya and Nigeria, hopefully avoiding Ebola. Unlike Helen, I may not know the science, but I do know the importance of what she did. I have gouged jiggers out of my feet and spent a week in hospital with what was not (fortunately) bilharzia. I know what may happen to someone in a remote village who has been bitten by a rabid dog when the nearest treatment is two countries away. What she did was really, really important. I knew Helen through archaeology, a dig on an outlying island in Orkney. She was fun. When your knees and back were hurting, when the midgies were biting, and with the prospect of a Force 9 gale – well, this was in an Orkney summer – you could rely on Helen to lighten the mood. Her story of a flight to the Faroes involving a small plane, a high waterfall and alcohol is a classic. My condolences go to all her friends and colleagues who have…

Michael was our cousin but my sisters, Hilary and Lynda, live overseas (NZ & USA) so didn’t know Michael as I did. Hilary was delighted to see him 2 years ago when she was visiting me. They had a lovely chat and Michael was his usual wonderful empathetic persona who brought out the best in everyone he met. Thereafter Hilary always wanted to know how he was and whether I had seen him recently. Unfortunately, my visits to Michael, and family contacts, became few and far between once he moved away from the Tring area but whenever possible I visited Michael and Mary in Knighton. Then, when they moved to Macclesfield, we were able to visit a little more often. Despite us all ageing we enjoyed meeting and I was very sorry to have missed Mary’s memorial service in Knighton. We continued seeing Michael at Mount Hall  and it was always good until last November. Then, Michael did not remember me, but he was still the same caring person who wanted to be polite and kind. He asked Alison, who we think he thought was one of his daughters, “Would it be churlish if I asked him (me) to…

I first met Helen during the Covid-19 pandemic where I was in UKHSA and we spend an intense few weeks trying to understand which animals were suspectible to Covid. Mink were the topic of most of our conversations and Helen taught me everything I ever needed to know about them. It was clear immediately that she was passionate and knowledgeable about animal heatlh and she became a big contributer to our work advising on Covid-19. This relationship continued as I moved to GO-Science and we regulary called upon Helen to provide expert science advice to SAGE-related meetings – no matter what the animal disease Helen was there to advise. The loss of Helen is a huge shock both personally and professionally. She was absolutely lovely and amazing at her job. We will miss her hugely. …

I was sad to hear that Michael had passed away. I only met him a few times, but he was always gentle and kind, with the loveliest smile and a great sense of humour! I only knew him as a retired Baptist Minister – I never knew that he had been a teacher, or about all his academic achievements. What an amazing man. It seems we must also add modesty to his many characteristics. It was obvious how much he loved Mary, and he must have missed her so much when she died. And now they are reunited in the heavenly home that Jesus had prepared for them. May you rest in peace, Michael….

My little chickadee! ❤️ Claire will forever be the most wonderful, caring, hardworking lady I’ve ever had the pleasure of managing. She took me under her wing when I felt completely out of my depth and worked so hard to share her knowledge with me which I will always be grateful for. Her laugh will stay with me as will her cracking impression of my hair flick! May wherever you be be filled with butterflies, heavy metal and endless cups of hot chocolate ❤️ What an enormous loss 😭…

Dear Claire you were such a kind and supportive person to work with over the years. You always had a smile on your face. Your presence will be missed so much. Thinking of everyone who knew and loved you. …

Claire was a great colleague and a lovely person – someone who has been taken far too soon. Claire was kind, compassionate, resilient and had a great sense of humour. She will be greatly missed by all who had the privilege of knowing and working with her. My thoughts are with her family at this difficult time x…

We have fond memories of both Michael and Mary and consider our years at High Street Baptist Church in Tring to have been very happy. Michael was very kind, capable and pleasant. We also always felt grateful to him for the wise advice he gave us which has affected our subsequent years. In the ’80s we started writing to a prisoner of conscience in Ukraine. After this man was released he, his wife and family came to stay with us and were welcomed at High Street. This indirectly led to collecting shoes for Romania which led to Bruce being asked to lead a convoy of aid to Romania. Thus a link was established there with the city of Galati.  At this point Michael initiated a meeting with Bruce and co driver Paul to enquire about their trip; they naturally felt they wanted to continue helping Romania. After considering all information Michael gave them his permission and blessing quietly saying that if they felt that God was telling them to do it then they should do it. High Street Church was enthusiastically behind the Galati project for some years. In this way Michael took both a personal and a church…

Dear Michael,   What an exceptional life with so much greatness presented to our world! You will be missed every moment; as a researcher and as a kind and inspiring person!   I feel that our thermal comfort community will not be the same without you! I used to call you and Fergus: the “Fathers of Adaptive Thermal Comfort” (well, I still do!). You are missed from our thermal comfort community and from our hearts! Losing you is much greater than words can ever say!   You were my research role model and inspiration since when I started my PhD, but I never thought you would become my role model in behaviour and as a person too! I was already inspired by your research and I didn’t know how to imagine such an exceptional researcher as a person! My imagination was certainly very different from reality! The first time I joined the Windsor Conference in 2014, I felt excited and well, quite anxious by being surrounded by so many excellent researchers. Then, you came over and sat down next to me and started a casual conversation about thermal comfort! I was so impressed and well, speechless I could hardly…

We will miss you so much Claire, the office will never feel the same without you. It was a pleasure to know you, and I really enjoyed working with you (Riviam Queen!). You did so much amazing work that helped so many people, they were lucky to have you at the end of the phone! xx…

Claire was an integral part of our team, always smiling and always there for support both personally and professionally. She was so kind and great at what she did, and she will be hugely missed. …

In my first pastorate in Knighton, Michael was an amazing help and support: always there to guide and mentor, but in a gentle way. It was Michael’s gentleness that influenced my ongoing ministry, and something I still use as my guiding principle. Thank you Michael for the example you set – and for your sense of humour! God bless you. Maggie…

Daddy was a generous and kind man in his time, and he welcomed everyone to his house especially during the festive season’s. I pray the Lord will give his family the fortitude to bear his loss and pray for his soul to rest in eternal peace IJMN🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽…

Dearest Michael, Up There where you belong – just waiting to prove Fergus and I wrong about the After Life… Thank You. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for being an inspirational example of a truly decent human being. Thank you for being an Inspirational Thinker and Champion of Truth about Thermal Comfort. Thank you for never giving up – or being intimidated by the apparent Powers that Be (Recognising where Power actually lies in the Universe) in your quest to improve the lot of the Ordinary Person in the Buildings and Cultures they occupy. Thank you for your humanity and your love and your friendship. Thank you for the very special times we spent together. So much fun we had developing ideas and testing hypotheses. I shall never forget the day at the Oxford Thermal Comfort Unit when you were looking at a regression analysis you had generated and called out to Fergus and I  – “look at this – we have been wrong all along – we don’t adapt!” we sat around for ages laughing, discussing the data and eventually explaining it. “Oh Dear – I am really comfortable and it is 320C” (Pakistan in 1996). I…