For J

Yesterday was a tough day.

I travelled back to Leicester for the first time in 12 years! (long story) I went back to say goodbye to an old friend.

Julian was one of the good guys…

He was multi talented, and the possessor of a good heart! He was cool, far cooler than I could ever hope to be!

It goes without saying that he was well loved.

Sadly, J took his own life. I won’t go into the details here, but he had suffered from depression on and off throughout his life and had obviously grown tired of life’s ups and downs.

Amongst many other things, he was a keen cyclist and bicycle enthusiast (geek). I have no doubt that he would have loved a bit of #grassupthemiddle action. It saddens me deeply that we had lost touch over the years. We can never hope to solve the problems in another persons life, but I do wish I had been around to (at least) take a little of his pain away.

Heartbreaking.

My love, and my heart, go out to his family.

This is for J…

Words and portrait photo - Paul Rance Pictures - Julian Collinge