Simon was a force to be reckoned with. He was a sunny, cheeky, irreverent but endlessly supportive character in the gloomy, semi-lit staffroom at Durham Road. We were advanced lecturers together for a while and he was always a force for good. He later helped me immeasurably when he was a smiling, positive, empathetic member of the interview panel when I applied for a college post and got it, thanks to him. He was a lifelong devoted fan of The Damned, and he also often used to do visuals and projections at our gigs in York, Preston, Middlesbrough and elsewhere, with his friend Neil. The images they conjured and projected were both inspired and inspiring, much more than a backcloth - a fantastic adjunct to the music, helping us put on a show for the audience to remember. I remember when he and Karen first came to the North East from Hawick - was it the 80s? - brightening up the world wherever they went with their irrepressible energy and their infectious enthusiasm. It was great when they both came along with a bunch of us on a Punk Bus Tour of Newcastle and Gateshead. Simon was clearly chuffed to meet up and chat with Captain Sensible's brother. Karen, Amelia and Adam are blessed for having had Simon in their lives, as are we all. He will be deeply and sorely missed by them at an already difficult time. There's now a gap in our lives where there was once Simon. And we are all so much better for having known him.