I was unlucky enough to first meet Doug in around 1982, I say unlucky because I wish I had met him
 
years earlier in the 1970’s and had the opportunity to do some alpine climbing with him, when we
 
were both at the height of our game.
 
Doug and I hit it off right from the start and had many many rock-climbing adventures.  We had
 
some memorable days climbing in North Wales and The Lakes on the high mountain crags, these
 
weren’t just great days they were magnificent days with five or six multi pitch hard extremes done in
 
a day.  Days I will never ever forget, we were on fire.
 
But with Doug it was more than just climbing, it was the laughs we used to have, both of us from
 
Lancashire we shared the same northern dry sense of humour.  Sometimes one of us would say
 
something, not a joke, just a few words about a situation and next minute we’d both be rolling
 
around helplessly on the ground with uncontrollable laughter.  And even last year on a visit to our
 
house he reminded me of one of these laughing sessions and it set us both off again.
 
Although Doug’s flame has now been extinguished his light will still shine for all of us for as long as
 
we can all remember.  Rest in peace dear friend.
 
 
Howard Lancashire
 
26th March 2020