I first knew Peter as 10 year old when he came to St. John's Church and belonged to the Young Worshippers Group, where younger members of the congregation went, whilst the adult congregation remained in the church. As a mere 14 year old I was one of the helpers and Peter and, his twin sister, Valerie were in 'my class'. From those days I remember Peter as a friendly, likeable boy, but whose attention was not always on the bible story we were looking at, preferring instead to come up with amusing quips and asides. As a 14 year old, I found trying to keep order, whilst trying to keep a straight face at something he had said, somewhat of a challenge.

From those days on my friendship  with him and Valerie developed and we met at various teenage events in the area. I remember hearing about his very early entrepreneurial skills, when with his dog, he would roam the local golf course collecting the golf balls, come home, persuade his mother to wash them and then sell them on. Such early endeavours were obviously a foretaste of things to come with Peter's highly successful business career.

When Ron and I were married in June 1964 at St. John's, Peter was one of our ushers helping, with others, to make this a very special day.

I admit contact with Peter, over the years since has been rather spasmodic, limited really to the occasional wedding or funeral, when we've had a brief chance to catch up. Busy, busy lives with work, family, hobbies etc. seem so often, for many of us, to take over. I do regret that but will always have great memories of our younger days.

My thoughts and prayers now are with Janet, Simon, Matthew and Valerie as well as with other members of his family. Rest in Peace, Peter.

Fondest memories

Valerie Vessey