When Alan and Linda moved to Saughall, we were so lucky that they chose to become our very near, and dear, neighbours. Friendships were quickly formed between adults and children and for nearly 40 years we have been privileged to feel more like ‘nearly family’, than just good friends. Our children loved their hours of ‘playing at the McCarthy’s’, including marathon board games with Alan, while we enjoyed his storytelling, his great sense of humour and his endless teasing. Then came the games of cricket and rounders in the field, with barbecues, Linda’s delicious salads and Alan’s favourite choice of beer or carefully selected wine; and let’s not forget the Halloween Parties and Linda’s puppet shows But the fun was not limited to Saughall. It extended to 30 years of January weekends at Center Parcs, several camping holidays in France, and for me Mollington Cricket Club (the MCC of course), meals at Carluccio’s, and ‘Baboon’ night-outs enjoying the live music of our generation. There was so much to Alan that contributed to his love of life and his fundamentally caring, supportive, kind and fun personality that more than made up for his love of a healthy argument and a good tease. Alan put his heart and soul into the big things in his life; his family his teaching, his charities and his friends. But he was also brilliant at the smaller things as well: days at the races, bird watching, his M&S ready meals, his MG midget, trying to play golf and of course his love of railway journeys, whether simulated on his computer or the real thing Pullman style. Alan you introduced us to so much fun. Thank you.