Friday, June 01, 2007

Lemons without the Lemonade

Sometimes life just throws lemons at you which simply cannot be turned into lemonade.

Glynn Mark Ayres, a dear and close friend, suddenly died on Tuesday (29 May, 2007) at the age of 50. This is a man that I have known for over 30 years, he knew me longer having been introduced to me whilst I was still in nappies, an age beyond my ability to recall.

Glynn was a highly intelligent person with a wealth of knowledge and experience, which he delighted in sharing in a boisterous way with others. In the early days, he was an avid miniatures wargamer, progressing on to computer based games as home computers became commonly available. I remember him often fetching me from my parents house to spend the night at his place playing long games of Galaxy on an Apple II computer, cutting edge technology then. In later years Glynn became an avid Trivia player, taking part in numerous competitions, easily winning most of his games and earning the respect of many other contestants.

Whilst the loss of Glynn is still sinking in, I have carried out the task of contacting as many of his old friends around the world in order to pass on the sad news of his passing. Whilst I do not have adequate words of my own to convey the loss, Charles Clayton, commonly called Chuck or "Emperor Caius" (his wargaming handle) puts it best...

(Glynn's wargaming handle was Lord Haag).

Ave Lord HAAG

Morituri te salutant.

I stand in a faraway land
and pour a tot of rum on the ground
in your honour
in your memory
and then I raise my glass
to the years of comradeship
that we had together

Kindred souls
competitive spirits
brothers in arms
I thank you
for the memories we made together
and the laughter that ensued

Let the Valkyries play
“Stairway to Heaven”
as they lead you to Valhalla
where you can practice trivia
to your hearts content
and be ready to beat me again
when I join you

Ave Lord HAAG
The Emperor salutes you
a worthy opponent
a fierce competitor
and a magnificent friend

Ave

Go well and in peace my friend I will miss you.

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