Christopher was a  great friend.

Reliable ...Practical ... Analytical ... Caring ... but unrelenting in his realism.

We knew him and his friends when we were near neighbours at his house (Cobwebs) in Hampshire and then at Badgers' Holt, a small distance away. Walks with Labradors’ Ben and Samantha were a regular feature.

He introduced not a small amount of glamour to our young family existence and made our girls feel like princesses as they grew up. He also pulled us into his exclusive circle of friends and revealed another enriching side to life. Lavish parties, murder mystery nights. Life with them was a surprise a minute.

Then, his life with Val took shape and became a more peaceful time. Married in 2012, they pursued life in a quieter way, during which time we have been separated by distance since our move to Derbyshire and thus have not enjoyed each other's company as much, save for odd phone calls and visits from time to time. Before we moved to the Midlands, we discovered how handy he was on a pub quiz team. He was our trump card. For a while at least we could bask in the reflected glory of not coming last.

It was obvious from the beginning that Christopher and Val were just meant to be together. I don't remember a closer match.

Christopher Bird will be missed

Bob and Kate Hingston xxx