We’ll all miss Stephen.
Top man. Ultra genuine sort of guy. But, like all brilliant accountants, he’s optimised his fiscal position by moving on.
It was a barmy early evening in the garden of the Queen Head’s in Brook Green off the Shepherds Bush Road. At the point I joined them at the table with Becks in hand the conversation started with comments about my Nokia, then emergency calls from estate agents, babies with chicken pox, and office politics. We progressed, somewhat bizarrely, on to the Charlatans, to the gayness of George Michael, a debate about what was David Bowie’s last album - and someone shared a memory of a Peter Gabriel Genesis gig at polytechnic - where the band was booed off the stage before completing their first song due to the audience mostly being made up of motorbiking type rockers who only came to see the heavy metal support band. We also touched upon the topic of the last scene from the film Casablanca - and exactly what Humphrey Bogart says to Ingrid Bergman in the dying moments. Of course, I demonstrated my own intellectual prowess with the latter.
I finished up my Becks - got up. Shook his hand and said goodbye. Told him all the usual: keep in touch - you know my email address etc. etc. And then I left. I strolled all the way back to the tube station with images of Stephen on my mind. There is something depressing about the journey home after showing at someone’s leaving drinks. It’s as if a milestone is laid on one’s journey through life. The point at which a character in the play exits the stage - and the story.
He was a sound bloke.
I know we’ll all miss Stephen.
Posted by jag at May 30, 2003 11:22 PM“It’s not right
But it’s okay
I’m gonna make it anyway
Close the door behind you
Leave your key“
By Whitney Houston
It was a happy affair. I was there too, on my way between work and celebrating another successful product launch with “the team”. Just a quick Guinness to mark the passing of another colleague. Amazing what the threat of moving to Slough does to people. Pity.
Posted by: Beren on June 2, 2003 11:10 PMYes - If I recall correctly - you and Dhama got up to leave just as I arrived. Hope the team celebration went well.
And I agree with your point about Slough. That place depresses me. It’s not the people - it’s the place. I am sure I have written about Slough in this Journal somewhere (yes - check the September Archive.)
The only thing mildly exciting about Slough is the fact that William Herschel - astronomer extraordinaire - lived and worked there for a while way back when. He was a stargazer. And, therefore, like me - a daydreamer. A veritable daydreamer.
Perhaps Slough is conducive to daydreaming. In which case I probably wouldn’t mind moving there.
However, I would probably have to rename this website to “M4.com” or something similar.
Best regards - Jag
Posted by: Jag on June 2, 2003 11:51 PM