Today, I received a phone call from Geoff Tomlinson, Darrell Swift’s business partner and long-time friend. An already horrid week was made worse by his news.

Darrell, whose return from holiday I was awaiting in order to publish this number of the Chronicles, had collapsed and died as he arrived at JFK Airport in New York. He had a massive cerebral haemorrhage; this proved to be inoperable and he died at 5.30 a.m., local time, on 2nd August, 2002, in the Jamaica Hospital, New York. He was 58.

I had the privilege and pleasure of knowing Darrell for twenty-five years. The closeness was cemented by the fact that his late Mother and I shared the same Birthday (they, and latterly he, never failed to send me a card reminding me of this!). Unfailingly cheerful, always with a comforting word when required, and a regular correspondent, Deborah and I were proud to number Darrell among our inner circle of friends.

As the President of the Friars’ Club, it gives me enormous satisfaction, mixed with shock and sadness, to record my gratitude, and that of the entire Club since its inception, for all the work he did for the Club. As Treasurer, as Printer and Distributor of The Friars’ Chronicles, and as a regular attender of Meetings — despite the distance and cost involved — he was, truly, a stalwart among our devoted group. People who give of their time so unstintingly are few and far between. Darrell was one such. And not only to the Friars’ Club. He was active in the Jennings, Biggles, Northern Book Club, to name but three.

In addition, he was a committed Christian — in the true sense of the word — and active in many areas of the Ecumenical Movement. He was a real eclectic. His love of Children’s Literature is well known; Happy Hours his own creation was one of an ever dwindling number of Booksellers devoted to our own Charles Hamilton.

For a sense of fun and a porky humour, you would have to travel a long way to find a better knockabout act than Darrell and the late, much loved and missed, Bill Lofts. Like Bill, Darrell was no mean trencherman! He liked his food — as a good Yorkshire man, he knew quality and value when he saw it!

Our sympathy goes to his Sister, Audrey.

As St. Matthew says, "Well done, thou good and faithful Servant. Enter thou into the Joy of thy Lord".

Some of you dear Friars may already know of the sudden death of our treasurer - Darrell Swift, in New York while in transit.

I had known Darrell for over 25 years from the early days of the formation of The Friars Club. He was a great enthusiast and ardent collector of The Magnet, both originals and facsimiles; it was this type of collecting that I believe gave him the idea of becoming a book agent himself, helping others with their own collections.

Darrell could be serious and forthright, a direct Yorkshireman, but above all that-he loved to laugh. Together we would mimic The Goons – both of us were fans. Darrell was a great friend, not only to me but to many others around the world, which is well confirmed. He would welcome anyone into his home in Leeds, with the offer to stay, confirming his Christian commitment to hospitality. Many in the hobby will feel this loss, and mourn his passing. I will remember the good times, like our week long boat trip up the Thames with three other Friars, mimicking the Water Lily series- we had such fun! There are certain people in life that we meet from time to time, with such a spirituality, that seems to make us better people. To me Darrell was like a warm summer breeze fanning the face I can say there will never be his like again. Good bye dear friend.

I have just returned from holiday and seen your email re Darrell. I am so shocked and totally stunned. I spoke to him a day or two before he left and only received a card from him last week! He wrote on the card that we must "meet up", sadly it is not to be. I obviously intend to attend the funeral, can you confirm 6th September?

Darrell was to me one of the kindest persons I have ever met. He was always full of fun and always available for a chat over the phone. He lived his life to the full, I never saw him down or unhappy. I will miss him ever so much.

. September 6th does clash with a major event here, but Darrell comes first. I shall arrive Thursday and return after the funeral, hopefully it'll be in the morning. I still can't believe this could happen to him. I know he was overweight, but he always seemed so healthy. I am lost for words.

I was away on holiday when you rang and e-mailed to let me know about Darrell's sudden death, so it was a terrible shock to come home to. All the more so because Darrell was so full of life and joie de vivre - a smile was never far away from his lips. He was also unfailingly kind and generous in many ways - always ready to help out if he was able, and always there when you needed a friendly word. Whilst we met only occasionally, and didn't even correspond all that frequently, I shall miss him enormously.

I guess we must have first met around 1980 when (the late) Amanda (McDermott, nee Hawkins) and I used to make the trip from Stafford to London for meetings of the then Greyfriars Club. Since then he was an integral part of that bit of my life - especially for the fifteen years I edited the Chronicles, when he was such a great support and encouragement.

My sympathies to all his family and all his other friends - surely his passing will be mourned by hundreds if not thousands all over the world. I am just sorry that I shall not be able to attend his funeral, due to prior commitments.

I have today learned from a couple of people the sad tidings of Darrell's death. I had originally come to know him through the purchase of Hamiltonia. A few years ago we met while he was visiting Sydney and we became friends. Over the years we exchanged many emails. We met up in Sydney a few times and it was I who persuaded him to take his celebrated walking tour over the arch of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

In March this year I stayed with Darrell in Leeds for a few days and he was a most convivial and generous host. He also arranged for me to attend and to speak at a meeting of the Northern Old Boys Book Club. It was a most enjoyable evening. While we were visiting Scarborough Castle Darrell bought a replica medieval broad sword to hang on his dining room wall. He persistently blamed me for this act of extravagance! One evening I was delighted to attend one of his celebrated candle-lit suppers —a memorable experience!

Darrell and I met up again just a couple of weeks ago on the 18th of July. He had a few hours in Sydney while en route to New Zealand and we had a delicious meal of fish and chips at a famous restaurant in Bondi. It was a beautiful day and we were able to sit outside and look out over the beach and the sea. It is sad to think that this would be the last time we would meet, but it is a happy final memory.

Darrell was an easy-going, cheerful and unfailingly generous man whom I am proud to have known and whom I will always remember with a smile. His effervescent sense of humour was infectious and we shared many a good joke. His enthusiasm for the collection of old boys' books and for the associated clubs and activities endeared him to many people. We shall all sadly miss him.

Ave atque vale.

Tony Hiam, who Darrell was staying with in Auckland, N.Z., phoned me last night to tell me of the death of Darrell. I had lunch with Darrell at my place on the 23/08. I made a leek and potato soup and toasted sandwiches and my wife made an apple pie, and we had a great afternoon together talking about Greyfriars. After a couple of hours Darrell and Tony Hiam and family proceeded to go further down country to Taupo for a few days holiday and then going back to Auckland and later carrying on with his overseas trip. The last words I had with Darrell were to tell him that Mary Cadagon, had asked me to give her love to him because I had just received a letter from her.

I didn't sleep last night because I got the news as I was going to bed. I'm still in shock over his death.

I am aghast to hear the news of Darrell's untimely death. I have known Darrell for over 20 years, and received much kindness from him. He got me into collecting proper, and much of my collection came from him. I fear that his death is very much the end of an era - he was such a big figure in our hobby. I don't know if Darrell had any relatives - would you pass on my sincere condolences? I am scheduled to be on-call for the funeral - I will see of I can change, as I would very much like to be present at the funeral.

This is really very sad news.

I began buying from Darrell back in the late 1970's and early 80's when I bought a number of Howard Baker facsimiles from Happy Hours, steadily building up my collection from two to around ten volumes. After this I lost contact for a number of reasons and it wasn't until joining the Friars' Club in 1990 that I began collection building again. Indeed, over the last couple of years, hardly an update of his electronic catalogue failed to produce something of interest - better to say something of interest I was in a position to buy. This is a very sad loss and I will miss Darrell very much although I never actually met him.

Recently I found myself on a bus travelling from JFK Airport to Manhattan, glancing out of the window I caught sight of the Jamaica Hospital where Darrell Swift had sadly died the month before. My thoughts for the rest of that journey were of Darrell and many happy memories came back to me.

A few days previously I had travelled to Leeds to attend Darrell's memorial service, This was very well attended by many of Darrell's friends - I think two Churches would have been needed to hold all of Darrell's chums - I saw many faces I recognized from the Northern Old Boys Book Club and Peter and Deborah McCall representing the Friars' Club.

The service itself was a celebration of Darrell's life. Friends, such as the Rev Geoffrey Good, spoke movingly about the Darrell he knew. His speech, like the service, was full of laughter and some tears.

I had known Darrell since 1982. We met and quickly became friends aboard the "Water Lilly", when along with Maurice Hall, Brian Simmonds and Bill Lofts, we enjoyed a week long cruise along the River Thames, following the fictional route of the Famous Five in the  Magnet's famous Water Lily series.

 Following that successful trip-forever remembered  by Darrell and I for a comment by Bill Lofts that his bed aboard the cruiser was so small "It was like sleeping in a coffin, Darrell"- Darrell and I got to know each other well. He and I used to visit each others' homes in Surrey and Leeds and many a good meal was enjoyed over talk of the hobby and suchlike.

Darrell's knowledge of Greyfriars was extensive, as was his collection of complete Magnets, Cassells, William and much else. However he didn't only talk of the hobby. His mind (like mine) was full of totally useless, but interesting information. He had an fantastic recall of 60's television programmes and also shared my strange interested in post codes. He also liked rather unusual radio programmes, the first thing he did on his last visit to me was tune my radio into his favourite Dutch pop music station.

He was no "anorak" though. He had a terrific sense of humour. The last time I paid him a visit he greeted me with the words. "Treat my house as your own ... but don't put it on the market." He was always such great fun. I never saw him down or unhappy. He always seemed unfailingly cheerful.

He last spoke to me just before his trip. He called to say hello, but mainly because he was concerned that I had been a bit down in the dumps when he last phoned me. It was typical of him to remember such things and I appreciated his kindness. His last words to me were that we must meet up when he returned. He and we never did.

It is with great sadness that I must report that Darrell Swift of Happy-Hours Books passed away on Aug 2, 2002 whilst returning to the UK from a world tour. Darrell was an authority on all things Billy Bunter, as well as Jennings, and others. He was also active in several clubs.

I had the pleasure of Darrell staying with me on his last two trips to New Zealand. On his last trip my family and I had taken Darrell for a short holiday to Taupo, Rotorua and the North Island Mountains. I waved goodbye to Darrell at Auckland airport just a week before his death, little dreaming that my world was about to be shattered.

Darrell and I just seemed to get along so well. The same kind of warped humour. We both enjoyed Billy Bunter, The Goons, and anything else involving a crazy sense of humour. Darrell also had an interest in Radio, a hobby I also share. Darrell was a kind, generous man who loved to meet people, and laugh. And boy, did we laugh! We had some great times together. I feel as though a part of me has died along with him.

He will be missed by the many, many, friends he had all over the world.

Darrell, will be missed. I only knew him through  the internet, and when ever I sent him an e-mail to order a book, or just asked him questions about Greyfriars he always answered me back within a couple of days. I met  Darrell for the first time just under two weeks before he died. We had lunch together. I found him easy to talk to, and he had a great sense of humour .He had a small photo album with him, they were pictures of his friends. He loved his hobby ,and was very fond of the friends he had made in England, and the rest of the world. When l heard of his sudden death just before going to bed that evening l realised how much l was going to miss him on the internet, and what a loss he must be for all you who knew him personally over many years. Darrell will be missed.

Well Peter, I wish l could go to his funeral, but we are so far away here in New Zealand. On the day of his funeral l will think of Darrell, and all of his friends who will be there. My wife ,and I will drink on that day to wish Darrell goodbye.

Peter, on behalf of all his friends in this ,and other parts of the world will you give a report on Darrell's funeral in one of the Chronicles, or by the internet.

 Deborah & I arrived in Leeds on Thursday. The saga of our hotel makes a horror story!

 On Friday, we went on a mini pilgrimage around the area to see Darrell's house and Impressive Characters before arriving at Cookridge Methodist Church. A modern building, it has the Church Hall attached to the side of the Church itself. The connecting doors between the two were opened to allow for the expected 300 mourners. Very few seats were not taken. Representatives of many churches, as well as overseas visitors were among those present. The Club was represented by Graham, Vice-Chairman, and myself as President. Apologies were read out from, inter alia, Mary Cadogan, our Vice-President. I gave the requested apologies from Brian & June Simmonds, Christopher Cole, Martin & Hazel Trouse, Sarah & Michael Serota, Ian Orde-Hume, Nandu Thalange, as well as greetings of a suitable nature from all other members (past & present) who had asked me so to do.

 The Service was led by the Reverend Dr. Roy Yates, an old and close friend of Darrell. In his sermon, he talked of Darrell's Christianity, love of life, eccentricities(!), and fulminated magnificently on the crook Robert Maxwell (Twice by that accurate epithet - at which, however inappropriately, I clapped!). Then Father Geoffrey Good of the Northern Club paid a moving and tearful tribute. He was in tears - as were many others. (Sadly, he spoke 'off the cuff', so I cannot reproduce his Sermon. However, I have Dr Roy's Sermon and permission to reproduce it in the FC.) Amongst the tears were many laughs.

 In short, a true celebration of Darrell's life. A life that was wonderful, too short, full of memorable moments, and activities benefiting many groups of people. A life that enriched many people all around the world. (I know that Geoff Tomlinson sent out over 300 e-mails, and the same number of letters.)

 The efforts put in by many people to ensure a 'good send off' were enormous - and appreciated by all.

 A book of Condolences is being prepared and will be available - together with the Service - in the next few weeks. Again, I have permission from Geoff Tomlinson to reproduce some of this in the next FC. I have asked Geoff to add all our names to the book - not only the e-mails sent by members, but also those who sent messages by myself.

After the Service, the Ladies provided an appropriately Bunterian feast. I hope Darrel enjoyed it from on high!

 All in all it was a trip worth making - both personally and on behalf of the Club.