Hugh

Back blip

I've been putting off publishing this blip as it's a difficult one to write. Hugh, a fellow Scot, colleague and friend for many years (over 20), passed away two days ago on 1st November, Barcelona. He had just turned 61 in September and had been fighting skin cancer for 12 years. He was a talented teacher, popular with students and colleagues. He was a gentle giant of a man, a man of few words, but his words were always kind, intelligent and very often humorous, displaying a dry wit. He made me laugh outloud many times, not just when we shared a staff room, but over the remaining years of our friendship when we met for coffee a few times a year or in our email exchanges. He was a private person, but over the years we developed a genuine, quiet friendship. He was a very keen blues fan and incredibly well read, especially on European politics. Many of BB's book presents were on Hugh's recommendations. We'd tried to meet before my summer courses started this year, but I'd had to cancel as I got a very bad bug which floored me totally. Then summer came and gone, with little time for anything but work. I wish I'd made the time somehow to meet Hugh. About a week before he passed away, I sent him emails and 1-1 facebook messages and there was no reply. I knew that was unusual and so I tracked down his landline number from our mutual ex-boss, but hadn't called it when I when I received the message ’Hugh L died on 1/11/2016, Barcelona'. It was a group message to his 1-1 contacts on his FB page (only about 12 of us) by his sister, who was here from Australia and didn't know any of his friends here or how to contact them. Today, I met her and one other of his three sisters, who lives in Scotland. It was a slightly strange meeting, but we connected immediately as fellow Scots and they were happy to meet one of his Barcelona friends and hear a few of my memories. I was keen to know about what had happened in the last few weeks and connect with them. I was happy to hear that that he'd been in control of things and had kept his dignity till the end and his wishes were being respected by his sisters. He spent the last 3 weeks in hospital. I also learnt that his teachers at primary school had thought he was a genius - no surprise there. His sisters gave me a little passport photo of him, but I've decided not to show it here. He wouldn't appreciate that. So here's to Hugh: a gentle Scottish giant with a great sense of humour, knowledgable about war but lover of peace, a man of few words but very well-chosen ones. I'll miss you my dear friend. RIP.

The photo has no connection with the words here - I was getting my papers ready to come to Palma.