It is with great sadness that I report the passing of my good friend and once neighbour, Ian Course. Some of you will, of course, know him as the Chancellor of the Exchequer in Who Shot Tony Blair? and Cambridge-types will no doubt remember fondly his eccentric sartorial leanings, generous heart and absolutely lethal homemade damson gin.
I lived next door to Ian for around seven years and we quickly became great friends. The wooden gate between our properties was always on the latch and (during the summer months, especially) one or the other of us would routinely trundle through, bearing gifts of the victual variety. I brewed wine and made jams from the fruits of Ian’s orchard and Ian shared his wares of the aforementioned damson gin and his own fiery brand of horseradish. I got used to his woolly menace of a dog, Bonkers, mounting regular invasions and gamely trying to make off with anything vaguely edible he could find. Once, Bonkers returned to Ian with a whole cooked joint of beef in his chops, but luckily it wasn’t mine.
Ian was well known for his love of classic Bentleys and delighted in ferrying friends and acquaintances around the South Cambridgeshire countryside, as well as touring around Europe, Monaco being a particular favourite destination.
Convincing him to take the role of Chancellor was a masterstroke on my part, as he already had an extensive wardrobe that would dwarf that of any self-respecting eccentric political heavyweight. Whilst I could go on and on about the many attributes of Ian and the adventures undertaken, I shall say for now only how much I shall miss him as a dear friend and what a huge hole he has left in the Tony Blair team. With plans for the filming of the new book trailer well underway, I cannot yet bring myself to think about who might take his place on screen. Because there is certainly no one who could take his place off of it.
Goodbye, my friend. At least just for now.
Lucy Brazier 
Although I only met him once, he was a wonderful person and I got to like him a lot!
He leaves a huge hole in the world as well as the WSTB team!
Huge hugs to you!
xxx
He always made an impression on everyone he met! We all had the best day and bonded together as the unstoppable team that we are. He is going to be sorely missed.
Forwards, for Ian!
Huge hugs xxx
we absolutely did, by the end of that day I genuinely believed we could run the country!!
Forwards, for Ian!!
xxxxxxx
seeing what the actual government is up to right now – you certainly could not make a worse job!
I think we would be pretty good!
Well, they lowered the standard quite a bit … so yes, you would be very good.
That is certainly true 🙂
I’m so sorry you lost your dear friend.
Just from this brief tribute, it’s easy to tell this man was larger than life and much loved. It looks like he packed a hell of a lot in too.
Anyone who names their big woolly dog Bonkers and makes their own lethal damson gin earns my respect. May he rest in peace, and I pray to god we see these special ones again. The imbalance is too much to contemplate otherwise.
Thank you so very much for your kind words, they mean more than I can say. Ian was an exceptional gentleman and the world seems a little duller, a little quieter, without him. He will never be forgotten and would be delighted with these comments 🙂
Ah bless you Lucy. I hope you can get find your peace with it soon. It’s bloody hard, this loss aspect of life. I hate it. Still, there’s a lot of love in this tribute – that’s what shines through it all.
I will be fine, time is the greatest healer. I am glad the love comes through – love is what it is all about, after all. Thank you once again 🙂