I come here today to shed a tear and raise a glass to my old pal Dave Whitley. Also to give thanks for the release of his indomitable spirit from the agonising prison that caged and subdued him in those terrible years that illness bound him. I have few friends and find the bond of friendship hard to countenance but I found in Dave a great tutor and friend, a wayward rogue who took me under his wing when I was just a lad. A friendship that, like so many of Dave’s ventures had one small flaw in its inception. I tried to keep up with him on one lunchtime drinking session and found myself left in a cornfield! Notwithstanding this ours was a friendship that stood the test of time. Dave was a man of many guises but one thing I found from my years of friendship was that whatever Dave was, one thing he never was was wrong!! Dave had a tremendous wealth of ideas and tenacity for turning ideas into reality. If only he could have curtailed his tendency to become bored so quickly, I am sure we would all have become millionaires. Dave’s ability to talk his way into any situation and job, and his precocious spirit set us on some wondrous adventures. His legacy is not one of monetary wealth but he has left many of us wealthier for our encounter with him. He epitomized the phrase that no-one can belittle you without your permission. I learnt plenty from Dave’s ideas and adventures and two particular adventures left me much in Dave’s debt. One took us to the other side of the world and landed us in a place that time forgot. This was a truly remarkable expedition that, of all my journeys through life, will remain at the top and for that, I thank him. Another of Dave’s dreams and adventures resulted in, for me, a life of love and happiness and a family life that most can only dream of. For this my gratitude cannot be explained in words, I can merely say, thank you. Dave failed to obtain the wealth he looked for, perhaps I’m glad, because I truly believe that had he found that wealth he would have lost the spirit that drove him; a spirit that shone through even in the broken and debilitated mind and body that housed it, in the latter years of his life. If you are ever unsure as to whether to take a chance in life then just think what Dave would have done. Dave always took a chance, he could always say, yes I had a go! His epitaph will read ‘Do not remember my failure but remember this, my faith’. Dave was not a failure. Dave was unique. Dave made my life all the richer for being his friend.