Banna Beach Tag Rugby Festival- Sept 2017. 95 tag teams. 17 refs. 10 miles of beach, 68 cottages all booked for ITRA tag festival. You never saw Harry, but Kevin was with him. Friday night, we meet in Banna at 9pm – a long 5.5 hr drive. Weather was to be bad for Saturday. We all met in the bar on site and hugged and chatted about the festivals before it. 5am we rolled into our cottages knowing in 2 hrs it was meeting for breakfast in HQ for breakfast rolls. Just 2 hrs kip, ref gear on with a change in the back pack, the sky was grey and heavy. On the beach 8.30am, drizzle…. 11am we already had 12mm of constant rain. The games played, the refs froze.
Harry and I had a lovely friendship, me 43 yrs old & high energy levels and luv to party – most young lads say hi and join their friends. But Harry and I always had massive chats. I work for 5 companies and work 6 days a week, I’m always looking for staff. Harry had said, I’m your man, get me some work. We were huggers, chatters and in touch quite allot. I loved his massive laugh. I knew Harry about 18 mths before Banna. The rain hit hard all day and we broke for pizza. 150 pizzas arrived on the beach in a van, it was part of your reg. entry, u get pizza. Harry called me Gillers & it was a known fact- I always kept Harry food. Refs would scoff the lot, but I’d put some away for hungry Harry. X . This Sat was no different. All the refs begged to get into my dry jeep to rest and eat. I could only fit 4. Rain hitting hard, pizza boxes falling apart wet, no drinks, hot or cold in sight. Harry rocks up drowned like us all…..”Gillers did me grab my grub? Can I get in?” Handed him a towel, a full DRY pizza and a fanta- “ jump in, kept u a spot”. This photo is him keeping dry, being fed and watered while 13 stood begging to mush in. I brought Harry back in my car the next day. 7 hrs it took, we stopped twice for food and ice cream. He had cuddled twin girls the night before and I wanted the Goss lol. He was brilliant, kind, caring, grateful, and I loved him to bits, I was the older sis and we also worked at hell & back.
In Nov 2017, I got him work with Virgina in – Ready to Serve. He waitered for the co. and allot of shifts were in the Burlington, perfect location 4 Harry. They knew he was keen to work and get cash for Christmas. He dropped a large tray of 6 wine glasses and a bottle of red….. He was super. That smile melted all around him. I worked with Harry numerous times, I never ever saw him lose his cool, or be rude. He was calm, clever and picked up info so quick. I often gave him lifts here and there, gosh his taste in music, we constantly joked. Xxxx I never step on a rugby pitch, but I think of HARRY.
Over the past few months, we have been gathering memories of Harry from lots of people who knew him during his short 19 years with us. We invited relatives, friends, classmates, teachers, acquaintances, and everyone who knew him to submit their favourite memory to us for inclusion in a ‘storybook’ collection.