You disgusting wine bibber!!

This is a quote from a Vincent Price film called "Theatre of Blood" which involves a rejected actor killing theatre critics using some rather Shakespearean modus operandi.

It is also something that my friend, Philip, used to quote a lot. It was his version of Withnail. However, I will never hear Philip call me a disgusting wine bibber any more.

He died of bowel cancer last week. 

I hadn't heard from him or the friends we used to hang out with for a couple of years. Then, our mutual friend, Vince, got in touch with the bad news. Philip had cancer and the chemotherapy hadn't worked. I was fortunate to see Philip in his hospice shortly before he died. It was as if all his personality, as well as his body had been sucked away. He lay exhausted in his bed and it was clear that he had accepted that the end wasn't far off. I don't know if he managed to start reading any of the Dr Who books I'd taken along.

However, I'm glad that I had the chance to say goodbye to him.  Top  Philip quotes/memories. You may not understand all of these. Apologies. We were members of a profit share company called Moonlight Drive, so most of these are theatrical.

1, Seeing him Malvolio in Twelvth Night.
2, So we decided we'll do.... The Monkey's Paw!
3, Out! Out! Out! (Quoting some politician)
4, He was the only person to turn up to one of my birthday celebrations. (That seems to be the annual average!)
5, Ah Cannon and Ball, the yardstick of British comedy.
6, Ah, sherry!
7, Ah, time for a nice cup of TEA!
8, Watching Laurel and Hardy with him one New Years Eve.
9, For him, Tom Baker was the only Doctor.
And of course... the quote in my blog title.

RIP Philip. Miss you.

A sorrowful, but unrepentant wine bibbing, Bunyip.