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Toilet Drinker Joined: 11 Nov 2004 Posts: 222

Last weekend a dear friend of ours left us.

http://www.barrymorse.com/

It all began in an off licence six years ago, I was buying vodka, he was standing around drinking wine & chatting up anything pretty that walked in. He tried to twig the precise origin of my muddled accent. I confessed to too many years in the theatre to be regional of voice and thus began our friendship.

I staggered home many hours later to Ed's "That was a rather long trip for a bottle of vodka." to which I replied (as best I could) "I didn't so much buy a bottle of vodka as join a family."

I didn't know who he was for a month or more, until a friend of ours pointed out his CV. By then it really didn't matter, he was my friend, his career was just another bit of the conversation and he was well on the way to becoming a regular presence at Sunday roasts and holiday dinners. He became our adopted grandfather.

KK and I had the great good fortune to see him perform "Merely Players" at a benefit for the Theatre Museum.

He was one of the kindest, loveliest people we have ever had the pleasure to call friend and I will always imagine what fun it would have been to work with him.

He had been getting weaker over the last year or so and sometimes needed to be reminded of the details of some of his stories. We last saw him at our Solstice party, thanks to T who drove down to fetch him.

I can recommend his biography which was compiled in a series of interviews and reads very much like standing around at Gerry's. There was talk about editing the interviews on to an audio CD, I imagine it will be done now.

The next time you raise a glass of red wine (the only thing he would drink) spare a thought. And if you are ever in London on a Saturday stop in at Gerry's on Old Compton Street and look at all the pictures. Join me there and we can waste a brilliant afternoon.

Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 4:31 am Post subject:

I only met him a few times but he was a great bloke and an awesome story teller. I will crack open a bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape in his honour. Smile

Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 6:14 am Post subject:

Oh that is really sad. I thought he was such a nice man... Sorry to hear about that je.

Here's to Barry:

Leg Humper Joined: 11 Oct 2003 Posts: 5997

Sorry to hear about

Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 9:48 am Post subject:

What a nice tribute to him, Je. I am sorry you lost your friend...and that such a soul could not be around to teach us longer.

Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 11:15 am Post subject:

Oh... crap!

I got to meat Barry a couple of tymes. Far to few tymes. He was a kind and warm man. Someone it was easy to respect and even easier to like.

Rest in peace, Barry. We're thinking about you and missing you a lot.

JE: if you get to meat Hayward be sure to pass out condolences.

/Akely

Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 6:32 pm Post subject:

That tight squeeze we feel in our hearts is the signal that lets us know when we've found true friendship. Loosing that grip is among the worst kinds of pain one can endure, I find.

The remarkable thing about life is that it's all about give and take. I rather give more, and give willingly. Than to have life come along and take from me.

I'm actually going to say I'm happy for you, that you had such a friend in your life.

Toilet Drinker Joined: 11 Nov 2004 Posts: 222

Thanks folks. Jay, thanks for posting that pic. It really sums him up. I will pass the regards to Hayward.

Smile

ouch

Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 2:02 am Post subject:

I just wish I'd had more time to get to know him.

Missed opportunities.