So sad that Fred has left us and far too soon.  On thinking about the number of years I knew him, I recalled to mind the first time I met him which, as one might imagine with Fred, had its humorous side.

Fred and I began at St Edmunds Senior School at the same time, 1963.  Although we were in the same class, we were in different Houses so I did not have much to do with him until a couple of weeks into the term.  One Sunday afternoon, I took myself off for a walk in the woods behind the school which were quite extensive then but I think they have mostly disappeared now under the University of Kent campus.  I remember there were a number of giant red ants' nests dotted about the woods and I came across Fred staring intently at one of them which was partly built against the trunk of a tree.  Fred was holding a large stick and, as I went up to see what he was staring at he suddenly said; "I wonder what will happen when I do this?" and thrust the stick in and out of the nest with great force.  The effect was instantaneous and the nest suddenly became a seething, boiling mass of very angry ants.  We stepped back thinking we would be safe from them but neither of us had realised that the tree itself was crawling with ants and these began to drop on our heads and our clothes and down our necks.  Ever since that time, I have believed that large red ants are not ants at all but miniature T-Rexs with teeth to match!  We fled the scene slapping ourselves with Fred shouting out "Little buggers, little buggers, the're all over us!"  Once we reached the school playing fields we felt we were safe and I began picking ants off Fred's jacket and he did the same for me.  We must have looked like a couple of baboons in the zoo on a flea search!  As we made our way back to the school for Evensong, Fred said, "That was fun.  We must do it again next week!"  Needless to say, he was on his own for that one!

Thank you Fred for a hundred memories like these.  RIP

Alan