The first time I met John was in 1978, and yes it was fate, a letter had gone round from British Red Cross Merseyside, asking for volunteers to help with a holiday for disabled people at Pontins. I volunteered to be on the nursing team, and John, who had not been in the red cross very long, was asked if he would drive an ambulance. Our paths crossed several times on the holiday as he was a willing helper, and when we needed a strong arm to help with lifting he would readily assist. That year, a nasty virus took hold of the camp and three days into the holiday nearly everyone was down with it. So everyone who was well had to work for all the branches and not just our own. John and I were pushed together, along with a few others, to deal with the sick people. I caught the virus and ended up in bed as well, and he was very kind bringing fluids into the chalets and assisting the other nurses. My nan, took an instant like to him, and you could see her thinking "wedding bells". After that holiday we met up and started "courting". my nan, loved him like a son and he had a great deal of respect for her and my mum. It was eight years before we finally got married, we were best friends as well as a couple and we worked together in British Red Cross. He was a tall, shy lad, but we saw his good side. He had a kind heart and we saw talents in him that his family didn't see. How he cared for the handicapped children we had in our club and the disabled people we took on holiday. He was well respected and trusted in Red Cross circles. The President, who was a Judge, said he would trust John to drive any vehicle in the fleet. Our wedding day was April 19th,1986, which was a red cross friendship club day, so rather than disappoint the children we invited them all to our wedding, and bless them they all came in their best clothes and had a wonderful party in the church hall, and they sang for us in church alongside my cadets and juniors. We had a guard of honour from the members, and neither of us would have had it any different. He worked mainly behind the scenes, I was the boss, the instructor and he was my batman. He mended wheelchairs, he did all the driving, he learned how to simulate injuries so that people could have realistic first aid incidents during class. Occasionally he would take charge, if I wasn't there or if I was otherwise engaged, and as he matured he became less shy and more assertive. As a husband he was loyal, we never had a row, occasionally we needed our own space, but never for more than a couple of hours. He was quite happy at home or at my nan's home. My family loved him, especially my nieces and nephew.