ROGER AS A FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE Firstly let me say that I felt it a great honour when Anne asked me to speak about Roger and represent his friends. I have found it somewhat difficult to speak just about Roger, for as we all know and appreciate it was never never Roger or Anne but most definitely always Anne and Roger. I hope that you will forgive me as I can only illustrate the kind of relationship we friends all felt though my own personal experiences. I suppose that Jenny and I became REAL and CLOSE friends with Anne and Roger on the very day that they moved house from one end of Park Road to the other. We had of course known them for some time before that through the Kingston Horticultural Society. as a really great couple and perhaps particularly as we four all originated from the Liverpool area, sharing northern experiences and wit. However the day they moved house happened to be a KHS day AND as we were to learn, in true Anne and Roger style of their famous hospitality. They invited us to ‘pop in on our way home’ to take a look at their new home. There was chaos in the house with removal men everywhere with Anne directing with ‘put that there, that upstairs please, can you just move that a little bit this way’ and I must say Roger not exactly looking serene but more bewildered. Yet there was an enviable and unbelievable calm overall. In the midst of all this,the removal men were offered lunch and drinks [it was a boiling hot day] a table and chairs were quickly set up in the garden and there was absolutely no question of Jenny and I refusing to join Roger and Anne for a great alfresco lunch. Pizzas salads garlic bread and naturally bottles of wine appeared like magic. As we came to know only too well, no thank you was not an option. I tell you this little storey just to emphasise what most of you know already, Roger AND Anne for they were an inseparable team, made the most generous and hospitable fun loving pair one could ever wish to have as friends. Their and still Anne’s wonderful way of insisting that it is the guest who is doing them a favour, certainly NOT them as hosts was almost convincing. Kingston Horticultural Society, well it is a great social affair, I sometimes think that horticulture is just the crucible for interesting people to meet up and WELL, to be sociable and what a valuable asset that is. Anne through her love of her allotment and people soon became involved as a committee member. Soon after, Roger’s talents for publicity were discovered. On to the committee he went at no less a rank than ‘Publicity Officer’ and in no time at all was making KHS’s presence known throughout the Royal Borough. That was not enough, we soon learnt that Roger was a computer buff. Again Roger’s enthusiasm was exploited and more promotion through the ranks followed. ROGER was now KHS Publicity Officer AND WEBMASTER - a job he took on with great gusto designing an enviable website, keeping it up to date and giving the society the ability to communicate with members by email. Roger was also a great photographer, with cheeky tongue in cheek at times, [how could he ever repress his wonderful sense of humour?] making a picture record of the many society outings and events. Roger was also an accomplished orator, lending his own sense of fun to quizzes votes of thanks and as compare to our Christmas party. Last of all we knew him as a wonderful partner to Anne, he truly thought the very world of her and she deserved it and how proud he was also of his three fine sons and their families. AS I said earlier. I was greatly honoured when Anne asked me to ‘say a few words for Roger’, one could go on for ever about this generous, kind, amusing, hospitable, lovable great great character of a man. But now we must say goodbye and it is from all his admiring friends and on behalf of you all that I do so. Goodbye Roger - we all love you.