Pete

 When I was young I had a best mate called Pete. We went through 11 years of school together culminating with a fistful of O Levels each.

In our teens we shared a love of rock music - we both cried when most of Lynyrd Skynyrd died - We loved the Lakes - Pete went climbing and I played guitar outside the Old Dungeon Ghyll - we played music in his magnificent shed like Neil Young, Sad Cafe and Pink Floyd - and Pete was there for me when my Mum died. We were 15.

In the late Seventies we went to Germany on his motorbike. I was in his sidecar. I was meant to be reading the map but I kept falling asleep!

In the early 80's Pete was doing well and had his own house which he shared with his brother. Me and my future wife went round for home-made chips and we all watched the Kenny Everett Television Show.

In 1984 Pete was a witness at the Missus' and I's marriage and because we were penniless he graciously  let us join him and his girlfriend on Sky for our honeymoon! 

By the mid 1980's I'd moved away permanently from our home town, was married and a had a baby daughter. I began to lose touch with Pete.

Always a restless soul, he emigrated to Oz sometime around 1985.

I saw Pete again at his own wedding reception in the early 90's. I'll never forget his new Australian accent.

Pete visited us at Moonbase in the early Noughties on his month long trip home.

After that I became lazy and completely lost touch sadly.

Pete died in 2022, aged 61 I guess, like me. I only found out recently from his younger brother who had also emigrated.

I can see Pete now climbing the fells of Heaven singing his favourite Dire Straits tune, his infectious smile lighting the dark.

I only have a few pictures of Pete. This is my favourite, sharing a pose on our German bike trip in 1979. Pete's on the left.

RIP mate. Keep Ridin'