RIP Maximus - from Ku

I've been writing this post since quite soon after I first heard the awful news, but I wanted to wait until after the funeral to finish. I sort of don't even really want to finish writing it because I'd feel like I was doing Max an injustice by not writing more, there is just so much to say about him. Im finding it very very hard to just finish up and send this.

The first memory I have of Max was seeing him and Marcus throwing hotdogs at some girls in the early hours of the morning in Newcastle! Me and a couple of my mates saw him doing this and decided to pretend to be all chivalrous and stop them to impress these girls, until we realised that the girls were actually annoying as hell.......so we joined pelting these two girls with food!! That must be back in 2001 or 2002 now.

After a shaky start (basically me and Marcus had a drunk fight, all resolved now - and I've not forgotten you spotting me and Johnny Reeves struggling to get into Astons and bringing us out a cold can of Red Stripe each Marcus, great work!) I like to think that me and Max grew to become good friends. I grew especially close to Max in my last couple of years at university, where we spent a few nights going out just the two of us, which was widely acknowledged as being quite a dangerous combination! During the funeral weekend Jo actually said she'd always laugh when Max would say he's going out with me, because he wouldnt even ask anyone else really, he'd just say to her right im off drinking with Ku, and she knew there would be a good few stories the next day, such as the kitchen smashing incident at Devonshire Place!

I remember the night when we broke through the barrier of being acquaintances to becoming good friends very clearly. It was at the end of a term, and I was to drive back to Preston the next day. I went to some random house party, expecting it to be a standard run of the mill crap Jesmond house party, and to my surprise Max and Eddie were there. Up until then, I think Max thought of me as a bit of a gruff skinhead (I did have one back then) northerner, and we didnt really know each other that well. I remember him saying to me that night "I've seen a different side to you tonight Ku", and we got on like a house on fire. Max actually ended up being my wingman that night, and was a brilliant one at that.

He did come up to Newcastle during graduation in July 2005, and was supposed to be staying at mine, but as usual with us our evenings didnt go quite as planned and I think he only ended up staying at my house the one night, but I remember it well as that was the last time that I spent time with him. Im attaching a photo from around then, when Max and Eddie went to Jo's graduation as her parents were stuck in London due to the bombings, and I met them after and we all went to the Hancock for a few drinks. Thats the only picture I can find with both me and Max on it, there must be some more about if anybody has any I'd love to have a copy. There's also a picture of Eddie and Max from that day which Jo took, she said she remembers telling them to pose and Max pulling his phone out, he's not even speaking to anybody on that picture he's just pretending to try and look cool!!

The very last time I saw him was during that time when I gave him a lift to Newcastle train station, we had a quick pint together before he left for London. Since then we had spoken a lot on the phone and on email but not actually managed to meet up, which is something I regret deeply now.

I'll remember him for his red Carharrt hoody which he wore ALL the time (I always wanted to rob it - I might go buy one now) his Mad Max t-shirts which used to make me laugh every time, his love for playing football and nutmegging people. I remember seeing him down Jesmond dene every day in the summer, complaining to me how he has not been doing his uni work because he's been down the park playing football all day, but he just couldnt help himself!

But most of all I'll remember him for being a top top lad, always smiling and joking, always up for having a laugh and hugely popular. He always had the time of day for anyone, and I dont know anybody who had a bad word to say about him. To be honest he is probably the reason why I am mates with any of the people in the years below me at Newcastle, and I am sure he is the link between many groups of friends. There were people at the funeral that weekend who I haven't seen for ages - we've all agreed to make the effort to stay in touch and see each other more often, try and take a positive out of all this if we can. Something like this makes you realise not to take things for granted and make the most of any situation, make the effort with those you love and enjoy every moment you can.

It was also lovely to meet all his boys, Isaac, Louis, Owen and Dash, and we had a really good game of football the day after the funeral, Max's uni mates against his home mates. Us uni boys let them lot win ;)

To Max's family - I am truly sorry I didn't get to meet you myself at the funeral, I kept meaning to come over in Aston's before you left. I cannot imagine what this is like for you, but you should know what a top lad Max was and how much everybody who knew him loved him, and try to seek some solace in that.

Our friend Mick summed it up perfectly - its a massive loss, to anybody who knew him. Max was a great lad everybody loved him. Still cant believe this has happened, I keep expecting to meet up and have a wicked laugh with him soon.

RIP mate I promise you'll never ever be forgotten.

Ku