Searching for Simon

I am writing this in the hope that somehow, in some unforeseen way, by some stroke of luck – perhaps even through some unexpected source –  I might find the man to whom I owe my life.

Now this is not the height of melodrama from me (although, as you know, I am partial to a slice of drama from time to time!) – for this man, this superman that simply goes by the name ‘Simon’ – actually saved my proverbial bacon.

Above is what I wrote a couple of days before I met the mythical Simon, and on Friday, a whopping two years (almost to the day) down the line , I took Simon for lunch… And boy was it momentous!

The appeal that I had lodged on a couple of Bristol-based news platforms clearly did the trick, because in the aftermath of the television interview, I was receiver of an ominously entitled email from one ‘J Jenkins’ with the simple subject line ‘Fell off roof’. Straight to the point that this may have been; why waste time with flowery language eh? A time and a place guys! I called Simon almost immediately on receiving the email, and we pencilled in lunch for a few days later.

For lunch I went for one of my favourite eateries in Bristol – Pinkmans deli on Park Street – and I don’t think I am have the words to adequately quantify quite how momentous it was finally meeting Simon, all of two years down the line. Depending on where you stand on the whole fate/’there’s no such thing as fate’ debate, the simple fact is that had Simon not been there at 5 am on that December 5^th morning, I may not have made it through.

Actually meeting ‘He to whom I owe my life’ after all this time was, needless to say, an emotional whirlwind. It was a momentous moment, last Friday,  a lovely couple of hours was spent putting the world to rights with Simon and my brother Ed.

Simon, if you are reading this, all I’ll say is ‘get excited for this Christmas hamper’ my friend!

Feliz natal gente x