Salut Comrade! Heard the news today of the parting of a dear friend. I got to know Hamish in the last few years when working in East Reading… Above the everyday noise and laughter of parents and toddlers in the St John’s Café came loud cries of “Kant! Tillich! Heidegger! Derrida! bloody Tories! Subvert the Powers!” Hamish you were one of a kind; a playful, open and generous soul. You were loved by the diverse community around you – and for good reason; fiercely intelligent, but humble with it, engaging with everyone around you as an equal and a friend. Entering a conversation with you was like getting on a rollercoaster of ideas, stimulations, provocations.. a gasping, thrilling ride full of twist and turns, and there were times when you were ahead of the rest of us clamouring to keep up! Your life was centred around your passion for music, politics, people, and your profoundly deep faith; and all of these characterised by openness, sincerity, curiosity and generosity. Ever the teacher, you were hungry to explore.. and to invite others into such journeys too. I will miss you my friend, it was an honour to have known you. Revd Gary Collins