Dear Nick, You will be greatly missed. I only knew Nick from about 1987/88 when I had newly returned to England from about 8 years in the US. Through his life Nick himself followed a great many often unusual lines of interest from craft beers to Soviet Stalinist politics and Slow Food. But among them we discovered a shared love of archeology in its geographical locations, as well as an enthusiasm for folk music. Our friendship was further reinforced by both coming from refugee family backgrounds. His was I believe mainly Russian but there was also some Scandinavian connection that chimed with a major part of mine. Unfortunately given our different careers and movements of home and job we were only able to meet up fairly intermittently. However, through all the ups and downs of life he was always the same genial jovial eye-twinkling and above all kindly character that reappeared. The evening chats that we would have, often invigorated by his penchant for a nightcap tipple are memories I will always treasure. And with these in mind I would like to dedicate to dear Nick the following reading of the William Cory version of Telemachus' 3rd century BC elegy to his friend Heraclitus. 'They told me Heraclitus, they told me you were dead. They brought me bitter news to hear and bitter tears to shed. I wept as I remembered how often you and I, Had tired the sun with talking and sent him down the sky. And now that you are lying my dear old Carian guest, A handful of grey ashes long long ago at rest, Still are thy present voices thy nightingales awake, For death he taketh all away, But them he cannot take.' Yes Nick you will be very much missed, your old friend, Alan.