Sid was my friend.

I have known him for thirty years. Like many others who knew him we met at NTMC and through the latter half of the seventies we danced together in Dolphin Morris and Leicester Morris. Those who have known him in later years will be surprised to know what a very fine Morris dancer he was. He was also an excellent clog dancer, being a founder member of Greenwood Clog dancers in the middle seventies.

As most people know he was blessed with a lovely voice and learned how to use it exquisitely - he was very proud and pleased to become one of the resident singers at NTMC.

For six years during and following the miners's strike of '84 we sang and did silly things together as Red Star Delivery; stealing material mercilessly from other street theatre acts and favoured songwriters, entertaining striking miners, sacked miners, trade union branches, CND benefits etc etc. Sid it was who found it very difficult in the first rehearsal of a routine to bring a sledgehammer down on my groin, protected as it was by nothing but a concrete paving slab.

In recent years we met only two or three times a year - at Sidmouth, Towersey or when he was passing through Bristol on his way to a meeting of fine china enthusiasts - at each meeting he was always full of news, eager to tell what Notts Alliance was up to - he was so proud of them an the music they made together. And always eager to discuss his other passions: his friends, poltics, porcelain, food, bridge, music.

Now he is gone, far too early. I shall miss him so very much.