Andy was a wonderful friend from my student days in Liverpool. He was great fun to be around and always managed to make people laugh. This may have been due to his natural gift as a comedian, his art of story telling (and writing poetry) or simply his love of life! 


I'm convinced that spontaneity was Andy's middle name. I recall the pair of us, on a whim, hiking from Liverpool to Edinburgh to visit my friend for the evening. Thank goodness she was home and received us with open arms! 


Andy also came to visit me in Northern Ireland during the height of the troubles there. It was only when I read about the visit in his book 'A hitch in time...' that I realised what a big deal that was for him. His concerns certainly didn't show when he visited and not surprisingly, my family and everyone who met Andy loved him. 


Andy was a 'one off', a very special person, who brought joy into the world of everyone he met. It has been a massive privilege to know him. Rest in peace dear friend xx