Paul was a very good friend, who I wished I had been friends with earlier and had known longer. He was clever, funny, enthusiastic and seemed to enjoy his everyday life. He had a genuine interest in other people, in a sincere way, which is not common to encounter nowadays. He had a great enthusiasm for playing chess. When I first met him and encountered his somewhat self-deprecating manner, I initially felt I should encourage him further, but it became obvious after a short while that he was doing more to encourage me! He enjoyed playing a lot, but would joking say 'he hated chess', whenever he had even a short run of poorer results. It was a great pleasure knowing Paul and chess tournaments will not be the same for me, without his presence. Sorely missed, you will always remain in my mind as a really special friend.

Dear Paul, I will miss our chats and laughs during chess tournaments. You always had a smile on your face! RIP Salvatore Pepe

Kcod, I feel truly privileged to have known you first as a colleague and, soon after, as a friend. You were kind, fun, generous, and delightfully quirky. During our short-lived office book club, you introduced me to the wonders of Daphne Du Maurier—proclaiming 'Last night, I dreamt I went to Manderley again' as the greatest opening line ever. It sparked an enjoyment of her works in me, and for reading more widely. I still have the copy of Brideshead Revisited you gave me and will be sure to remember your sage advice: give Jane Austen a wide berth! When I mentioned in passing that I had started playing chess regularly, I had no idea I was unleashing a torrent of daily lessons and tips via email. I probably have enough of your advice to publish a manual! Your calm, composed nature and exceptional organisational skills made you the perfect office manager. And just when things were getting too quiet, you'd break the silence with your loud and hilariously accurate impression of Scooby-Doo's laugh—something that always left me in stitches. More recently, I cherished our catch-ups in London, filled with your stories, humour and wisdom...oh, and, of course, the food (I've never met anyone who can eat more than me and who can stuff so much in their mouth in one go...'pythoning', 'Piggly-Wiggly')! I'll miss those moments. Till we meet again... Young Draw x