Regarding Danny

So at five to four in the morning; I deem once again it is the right time to sit at the screen and begin typing. I have a couple of posts in line to put up here but i think if I don't do this one around now I'll be bugged every day by the gentleman of topic.

So! A little scene setting I think. I am nine. I am training in singing in a cathedral choir and I've been doing so for the last year. This year will be better of course! I am more experienced with the goings on of the system. I am likely to finally join the ranks of the main group of singers within weeks and my pay will rise to pittance (being slightly below before). The new people are joining this year and I will finally rank above people...It's time to meet them.

I regard the following sentence (in hindsight of course) to be one of the most life-altering, disturbing, ominous and slightly dooming things I ever heard. Simply:
'Hello, I'm Danny'

So we studied in the same class for the next two years under the wonderful tutelage of Terry Gill, we learned to sing, went on school trips and alternately took lifts to school from each other every morning. After this we branched into the secondary school and went our separate ways, living reasonably different lives but staying in fair contact every so often. Finally came GCSE German, somewhat regrettable as I didn't really learn much of the subject but infinitely more valuable in catch-up time with this mad man.

So; I can recount the history of this friendship as of this point in great detail! The problem is, though, there is an awful lot of it...

Where do we stand now? Well the fact is I can't stand him. He's my best friend and I can't stand him. He won't remove his coat in theatres and he eats for five but despite it all...

Danny is one of the most supportive, understanding, free-thinking, uninfluenced people you will find. He is able to offer a cup of tea and a chat when you're down, a game of something to take your mind off things, advice to help you cope and mostly informed view points. He is humble; not thinking too much of himself, but immensely talented; musically gifted and so on... Additionally I cannot tell you the amount he has helped me through things, whether family related, friend related, life related and much, much more.

So at the end of it all I am glad for him. I wouldn't change him. He is my bridge partner, my gaming buddy, my best friend and as good as a brother. We may still be bickering in 60 years time... but I look forward to every minute of it!

All the best to you,

Alex