Yet again, I find I cannot believe the anniversary has come round so quickly. I still feel that I had unfinished business with Gary. He and his crew landed at Akrotiri to slip on rotation from the desert as we were about to launch for Brize. ATC asked if we would hold and take them home. Of course we would. Out of the gloom (it was dusk) came the hulking figure of Gary Nic "******* hell, it's you " he said. Yes, said I who had trained him on 47, now get down the back as we want to fire this thing up. Once established in the cruise I went back to say "Hi" and he was fast asleep. It seemed unkind to wake him, and he deplaned before I had chance for a chat. There is a moral in here, but the dusty atmosphere in my study has made it impossible to type it. So, I'll just lift this cold beer and toast "Absent Friends". Damn, the dust is getting worse. NOT forgotten.