Two weeks ago we heard the awful news that our lovely friend and neighbour had died. Paul was diagnosed with stomach cancer in mid-2020 and we have been in constant awe of his positivity, strength and faith during the ensuing battle. We spent a lovely hour with him and his wife Michelle in the New Year for the ceremonial burning of their Christmas tree and he told us that 2022 was the year he was going to finally beat the disease. The news of his death just two weeks later has left us completely pole-axed.
There were many things about Paul that you couldn’t help but love. He was funny, fun-loving, cheeky, honest, compassionate, spiritual, positive, mischievous, serious, a great conversationalist, and he was always so interested in everyone. He was simply great to be around. I have known him since we were kids – our childhood homes were on opposite each sides of the street – and although we didn’t go to the same secondary school and our paths didn’t cross much I was delighted to discover that he and Michelle were our neighbours when we moved into our current home 14 years ago. Within days they had invited us into their home for a meal and we have since spent many an evening in their wonderful company.
They are the perfect neighbours for us: always there when you need them, great to spend time with, but totally respectful of privacy and never overstepping any unspoken boundaries. Their boys are a similar age to T and A and family is as important to them as it is to us. We’ve been lucky to spend some great family time with them all. An overlap in our holidays to the same resort in Fuerteventura a few years ago was a time I will remember very fondly. I can’t think of anyone else (other than family) that we would have been pleased to spend time with on holiday – we normally keep to ourselves and avoid socialising at all costs, but it was impossible to feel awkward around Paul.
Music, gin, food, laughter, books, Marvel films, childhood stories, shared experiences, love. These words sum our friendship with Paul up for me. We will all miss him hugely. A hit the nail on the head when she said “it will really hit home when we stop seeing him”. At this time of year we see little of our neighbours as we’re all tucked indoors, but in the spring and summer months we are used to seeing them over the garden fence or out and about, and I will miss hearing him singing along to his guitar at the bottom of the garden. Our loss is insignificant compared to Michelle and the boys and his family, but we will miss him nonetheless. We are lucky to have known him.
The diary of a happiness hunter 