Elizabeth and the family have asked me to thank everyone associated with the Challenge who sent tributes, condolences and memories of David, whether via the message board, social media, individual correspondence, or in thoughts and prayers.

He is now reunited with John at a woodland burial a little south of Settle in the Ribble Valley, in sight of Pen-y-Ghent, which was appropriately topped with snow.

Walking companion, mentor and friend to so many of us, we all have our personal recollections. One of mine is that he brought me to an appreciation of the poetry of John Clare, a native of Helpston, which is about twenty miles as the crow goes from Chatteris, where David performed one of his ministries. This is the last verse of 'I Am':

I long for scenes where man hath never trod
A place where woman never smiled or wept
There to abide with my Creator God,
And sleep as I in childhood sweetly slept,
Untroubling and untroubled where I lie
The grass below, above, the vaulted sky.

Oh ... I missed that David had died.

One of my fondest memories of my first Challenge in 2000 is of charging up out of Spean Bridge, past the wee minister and through the path ... only to meet the Twin Towers sitting at the side of the path enjoying a leisurely cuppa.

"Slow down, young man ... slow down" one of them said to me. "What's the point of coming all this way, into the midst of the most amazing scenery on God's earth, if you're not going to take the time to enjoy it while you're here?"

They were right ... and I took the comment to heart in my later Challenges.

Thanks, Jeremy.
I'll pass your kind comment on to Elizabeth, to add to all the others in the condolence book.
The family has been amazed and pleased for all the Challenger responses.