It was Saturday evening last September. Nick had been at work early and had been to bed, as he had to take his minibus to Ringway Airport later.  He got up and we had planned to watch a TV programme at 9.00pm. His Mother was at a birthday party with my daughter.  I was reading an aviation art book and at 8.55pm Nick said that he was going to make a drink (in the kitchen).  I heard a groan and a thud and thought that he had slipper off a chair.

I found Nick face down, silent, with blood on his face and the sink surround. His glasses had cut his forehead. I turned him on his side but it was clear that he needed help and I called 999. The ambulance and paramedics arrived within a few minutes. I do not have formal first aid training and felt guilty that I couldn't bring him round; I found out later that nothing I did could have helped.

I contacted my son in law who had just returned from work at the hospital.  He contacted my daughter who took my wife straight to the hospital; my son in law took me to the hospital and cleaned up the kitchen.

I knew that he had died in the kitchen, the ambulance did not rush off and it did not sound its sirens. 

The coroner's officer, a former policeman, was completely sympathetic and professional.  He asked me if I would be prepared to assist by meeting a representative from Manchester University who was researching sudden death in young adults.  I readily agreed and she came to see us and promised to inform us of the post mortem results, which she did.  This showed that I indeed could not have helped Nick.

I have given the art book away as I couldn't bear to look at it.  I had to contact his very close friends and on the Sunday, his grandmother.

He had several disparate groups of friends, who met for the first time afterwards - we always assumed they knew each other.  This new friendship circle is one of the very positive outcomes.  We already felt that we had an "extended" family and this is even larger.

We have always been active fundraisers and now are actively working for the Manchester Surgical Research Trust.  One of these events will be "Nicks Night" in May, which is already a sell out. I am gradually converting his room into a study. It took over two months before either of us could go in!

Every day I see his minibus or those of his former mates and this makes the tears come.  Each Friday, the "extended" family, meet at our house as they have done for years.  It has been a huge comfort to know that so many people loved him; over two hundred attended the funeral!