One year on, a toast in memory.

Up there in a blinged chippie somewhere….

R.I.P. Steve

TT

Wow, what lovely words (especially snapper). The last year has been very difficult, as you can imagine, but Haydn speaks about his Dad daily, and with a grin rather than a grimace mostly! We let off a balloon yesterday afternoon in the field that we used to play in as a family, and as the balloon was floating up and away, and diamond formation of four (sorry, but I don’t know what exactly) planes flew right across our path. Rather appropriate we thought. It’s wonderful to hear that Steve still plays such a part in your lives, as he does in ours, and will never be forgotten. Thank you all!.

Well said Snapper…

Love U Surf-Boy 😉 Anna 😉 😀 :diablo:
I miss u so much.The laughs we had 😀 😀 😀 LMAO 😉 😉 :diablo:

I’d not long joined the forum but I soon learnt that when you saw Steve’s handle attached to any thread you were either in for a good laugh, or an extremely reasoned and well written post.
I was thinking about him over the weekend and I’m glad to be able to add to this thread.
I hope his family and friends are well, and cherishing his memory on this notable date.

Thanks Ian.

What to say? A year without a mate who I didn’t really know as well as I felt I did (the internet is not a perfect match for living down the road), whose grin was a dependable sight when I came up to Duxford, who was in the same Regiment as a TA infantryman, who was of a similar age, who was warm, generous and full of those great gestures that signified him as being someone of value. I think of Steve most days. I miss him more than I knew him (if you know what I mean). No single death has affected me more than Steve’s. And I had a few to cope with last year.

Kev will tell you perhaps of how much Steve not being around anymore affects me. It still gets to me very strongly. I sat with Kev at legends, on the Sunday. And I cried. And cried. And cried. That was over a good memory of a good mate. I cried almost the whole way home, too. That’s two hours or so. I came in, got my last kwak out of the shed and put it in the freezer. I unloaded, I poured it, I sat with my wife and drank it with Steve. I cried again. You see the last time I saw Steve was on Legends Sunday last year. We’d been together – Me, Steve, George, my Dad, Haydn, Julie – on the Saturday. We’d been together at the Red Lion that night. The next day he took Haydn, Ian and I up flying – my first and only light aircraft flight – and that was it. I last saw my friend walking off to his car with Haydn.

5 days after he died we were going to meet up with our kids for the Lowestoft airshow. I sat with him there, kind of. On the beach as the Red Arrows pulled through a great big heart in the sky. I look up and say hi to him (and Tom from 609 who died a month before) when I see a piston engine aircraft go overhead.

Legends to me this year was empty. It meant nothing. The aircraft held no appeal. The airfield was missing the vitality Steve brought to my visits there. Legends died for me last year too. I won’t be there next year. For the last few years it’s been about the people anyway. About the 609 guys and about you guys. More than anything you guys.

This isn’t really the most coherent of posts, and doesn’t say a fraction of how I still feel. But I hope that I will always care enough to still feel as upset about losing you as I do now, one year on. You deserve nothing less mate. Steve, I wish you hadn’t got your coat.

Never forgotten i’m sure he is smiling down on us all here.

Bless you Steve.

I hope and am sure that his family and friends are still celebrating his life.

Indeed.

I have duly raised my glass to Steve; its been a sad week; last Friday was the tenth anniversary of the loss of the Mosquito…

Bruce

A fleeting dart across the sky,
A soaring thought way up high,
A memory that will never leave,
We’ll never forget you, God bless you Steve.

A pint of Spitfire duely raised.

BARNOWL

I certainly will. Gone, but never forgotten. 😉

One year on.

A year ago today we lost a good friend and frequent visitor to these forums, Steve Young. Those of you who knew him well I hope you will raise a glass in his honour tonight.

I’m doing the toast now, why not, and looking up at the sky, the clouds are forming up into such magical shapes today, it must be a sign.

Thanks EN830.

Steve you will never be forgotten mate, You touched so many people both in person and on this forum. Everytime I see a Chipmunk airborne I take a minute to remember.