When Barry and Gloria (and Shambles, of course) moved in next door to us 12 years ago, we soon became very good friends as well as neighbours.  That is, despite a possible re-ignition of the War of the Roses when Barry was asked if he was from Yorkshire!  He forgave us though.

We could never have asked for better neighbours; in fact, with such a lot in common (I was serving in the RAF, as were both his sons), we always had something to chat about, and it was like having our Mum and Dad next door.  Always there for a chat over the fence or in the street, and always there to offer welcome advice or lend a hand, like when Barry helped me re-plant a gate post not long after they first moved in.  They soon became firm favourites amongst the residents of the Close.

Here’s a couple of our favourite memories, which always bring a smile:

We kept an eye on each other’s’ homes whenever anyone was away. Barry and Gloria were kindly keeping an eye on our hamsters, Sherlock and Fluffy, whilst we were on holiday in France, and we were a little surprised to get a call.  It transpired that Sherlock had escaped whilst Barry was sorting out his food.  Sherlock had escaped behind the cooker and kitchen cabinets, so Barry had spent a couple of nights in the dark with a torch and laying out treats attempting to re-capture him, as he could hear him scratching behind the units. Sherlock was re-captured a couple of nights later when we returned, right where Barry said he was hiding.

Emily looked after the fish several times when Barry and Gloria were away. She remembers on one occasion the pump came away from the side of the tank and one of the fish sadly died. Barry was very understanding, and said not to worry, and to just flush it down the toilet! Phew! Emily felt so guilty!

When we first got our dog, Poppy, she spent the first few nights howling.  When we apologised for the noise, it turned out that Barry had gone out to his garage in the early hours for ear plugs due to the noise. In true style Barry and Gloria didn’t complain as they knew all about the issues rearing dogs!

A couple of years ago there was a pop-up restaurant that set up for special nights in the Village Hall.  We asked Barry and Gloria if they’d like to join us and we had a couple of wonderful evenings of great food and fantastic company, and me walking home slightly tipsy arm-in-arm with Gloria, and Emily hand-in-hand with Barry after the wine tasting! Great times!

One of the most endearing memories of Barry is him giving Shambles her regular exercise in the back garden, where we could frequently see and hear Barry playfully chasing her around the garden, always accompanied with Barry’s infectious giggle.  And, of course, Barry would have to lift Shambles up so that Poppy and Shambles could have a nose-to-nose sniff of each other whenever we were out in the garden at the same time.
  Put simply, Barry was the most salt-of-the-earth, friendly, kindest person you could ever wish to meet.  He touched our lives and hearts and we are all the better for having met him.  The world is a sadder place without him here; he enriched our lives, and we will miss our regular chats over the fence, but our memories of him will last forever. Rest in peace Barry.  X

Forever in our hearts, from Jason, Emily, Ellie and Grace (and Poppy) XxXx