Chris Welch
31-12 2021 04:14
wrote:
Dear Donya, James, Beckie, Catriona and Dom
In New Zealand, when someone like Matt dies the Māori people say:
“The totara has fallen in the forest of Tane”
The totara is a magnificent and much treasured native tree that can live for well over 1,000 years and is regarded as the king of the forest by the Māoris.
When a totara falls it is a great tragedy and this proverb is, I feel, very appropriate for Matt.
Matt was a person whose friendship I valued enormously; someone I loved talking to and spending time with. I’m sure there are a great many other people who will say the same thing about him. Elizabeth and I will miss him terribly.
I am writing to share with you a few of my memories of Matt and of the many happy times we have spent together over the last few years.
Although I had met Matt (and Donya) quite a few times over the years through Gill and Neil – not least at Gill’s 50th in Wales – it was really only when Gill invited Matt to join our Friday cycling group that I got to know Matt properly. I seem to remember that Matt found the first few trips out fairly challenging – but it wasn’t long before we were all eating his dust ..
I remember Matt as a very keen cyclist, always on time for our rides, nearly always with a clean bike and, if allowed to select the route – inclined to go for one with a lot of hills. (Donya has been known to comment on Matt’s choice of route.)
Matt didn’t seem to share my enthusiasm for checking out interesting buildings and checking out suitable coffee stops – but was always gracious enough to join us for cake ..
On one occasion I came to an abrupt stop between Otford and Shoreham and Matt crashed into me – ending up lying flat out on the road. We were all very concerned. Sarah instantly whipped off her (outer) top and cushioned his head on it. That seemed to restore Matt – and as far as we can all remember he cycled the 10 or so miles home.
Over the last few years our cycling group has had many hugely enjoyable long-distance rides - Way of the Roses, The Rhine, WWI battlefields and most recently Bristol to Bromley. Matt always took on the jobs of organising the itinerary and the accommodation. He did a magnificent job of it- and seemed to enjoy demonstrating his mastery of spreadsheets in the process.
I’ve posted a few pictures from our rides – the system wouldn’t let me embed them in the text!
During 2020 we had a regular Friday night Zoom calls with Matt, Donya and the other members of the cycling group. These calls became a highlight of the week for all of us.
Elizabeth often remarked how welcome and included Matt made her feel even though she didn’t cycle with our group.
Elizabeth and I were delighted that Matt and Donya had such a good time when they visited New Zealand and it was great fun talking to them about the various places they had visited and things they had done while out there.
I will always remember how cheerful, relaxed and full of fun Matt was on his birthday trip to the Cotswolds – I think the photo I have posted showing Matt catching Hugo’s farts in Neil’s hat captured Matt’s mood perfectly.
And on that final ride together Matt insisted that we re-enacted Gill’s famous tree throwing moment – where was Gill when we need her to clear the road?
“Truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave, and impossible to forget.”
All of us who knew Matt will be thinking how lucky we were to have known such a wonderful warm, friendly, funny, interesting and intelligent man. Our lives were truly enriched by the time we spent with him.
With lots of love to you all from Elizabeth and I
Chris
Chris Welch
31-12 2021 04:14
wrote:
Dear Donya, James, Beckie, Catriona and Dom
In New Zealand, when someone like Matt dies the Māori people say:
“The totara has fallen in the forest of Tane”
The totara is a magnificent and much treasured native tree that can live for well over 1,000 years and is regarded as the king of the forest by the Māoris.
When a totara falls it is a great tragedy and this proverb is, I feel, very appropriate for Matt.
Matt was a person whose friendship I valued enormously; someone I loved talking to and spending time with. I’m sure there are a great many other people who will say the same thing about him. Elizabeth and I will miss him terribly.
I am writing to share with you a few of my memories of Matt and of the many happy times we have spent together over the last few years.
Although I had met Matt (and Donya) quite a few times over the years through Gill and Neil – not least at Gill’s 50th in Wales – it was really only when Gill invited Matt to join our Friday cycling group that I got to know Matt properly. I seem to remember that Matt found the first few trips out fairly challenging – but it wasn’t long before we were all eating his dust ..
I remember Matt as a very keen cyclist, always on time for our rides, nearly always with a clean bike and, if allowed to select the route – inclined to go for one with a lot of hills. (Donya has been known to comment on Matt’s choice of route.)
Matt didn’t seem to share my enthusiasm for checking out interesting buildings and checking out suitable coffee stops – but was always gracious enough to join us for cake ..
On one occasion I came to an abrupt stop between Otford and Shoreham and Matt crashed into me – ending up lying flat out on the road. We were all very concerned. Sarah instantly whipped off her (outer) top and cushioned his head on it. That seemed to restore Matt – and as far as we can all remember he cycled the 10 or so miles home.
Over the last few years our cycling group has had many hugely enjoyable long-distance rides - Way of the Roses, The Rhine, WWI battlefields and most recently Bristol to Bromley. Matt always took on the jobs of organising the itinerary and the accommodation. He did a magnificent job of it- and seemed to enjoy demonstrating his mastery of spreadsheets in the process.
I’ve posted a few pictures from our rides – the system wouldn’t let me embed them in the text!
During 2020 we had a regular Friday night Zoom calls with Matt, Donya and the other members of the cycling group. These calls became a highlight of the week for all of us.
Elizabeth often remarked how welcome and included Matt made her feel even though she didn’t cycle with our group.
Elizabeth and I were delighted that Matt and Donya had such a good time when they visited New Zealand and it was great fun talking to them about the various places they had visited and things they had done while out there.
I will always remember how cheerful, relaxed and full of fun Matt was on his birthday trip to the Cotswolds – I think the photo I have posted showing Matt catching Hugo’s farts in Neil’s hat captured Matt’s mood perfectly.
And on that final ride together Matt insisted that we re-enacted Gill’s famous tree throwing moment – where was Gill when we need her to clear the road?
“Truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave, and impossible to forget.”
All of us who knew Matt will be thinking how lucky we were to have known such a wonderful warm, friendly, funny, interesting and intelligent man. Our lives were truly enriched by the time we spent with him.
With lots of love to you all from Elizabeth and I
Chris
