Martin Strawson's Memorial Website

Some of my memories of Martin...

When he dressed up as a plastic surgeon for Lake/ Wydd Hollywood party and proudly wore his biology lab coat with ‘I’ll do your breasts’ written across it all night long!

When he complained to the lecturer because I’d got a higher mark than him in a plant biology report; he was very angry because he was miles cleverer than me (the lecturer was a bit taken back by Martin’s protests and promptly raised his mark just to avoid an argument!)

When he mimicked the grounds man at the French halls of residence, who had shouted angrily ‘on doit respecter la pelouse’ at us for giving someone the birthday bumps on the grass.

When we went skiing with the Montpellier ski club and Martin made us all look so inadequate as he cruised down all the difficult slopes with so much confidence. He was all in black and looked like James Bond from a distance.

When he became worryingly excited that, as we were living in Montpellier, he was able to phone in and vote for England in the Eurovision song contest! Why Martin, why?!

When he turned up at the Lake/ Wydd Bad Taste party in his lab coat with little clear plastic bags attached. These were filled with various meat bits from the butchers and actual blood. At the end of the night the floor was considerably wetter and the blood had leaked out completely. It was indeed very bad taste!

When we were revising for a biology exam in Paul and Toby’s room in Lake Hall and Martin refused to let Paul into his own room because he didn’t think he’d take the revision seriously enough!

When I asked Martin to excuse me from a tutorial because I’d been ill with glandular fever. Martin knew that I wasn’t really feeling that ill on the day in question, told me off for being lazy but said he’d excuse me anyway. I felt so guilty after his stern words that I went anyway, not knowing Martin had got there especially early to give my apologies. When I bounced into the room smiling and looking not-very-ill, Martin was not particularly impressed. He forgave me though!

When he came to stay with me in Worcester. He had just gone to bed when a police helicopter with flashing searchlights started hovering over our garden. My Mum went racing into the bedroom and shouted at Martin to look out the window quick because there was an alien spaceship outside. Martin was half asleep and so confused; I guess his reaction was understandable!

When Martin fell asleep when my Grandpa was in the middle of talking to him at my Mum’s wedding reception. He’d been at some uni function the night before and was exhausted.

When Martin made an arts-related joke to the arts student cutting his hair at University House. He loved to argue about the intellectual demand required for arts degrees, or rather the lack of. The arts student in question promptly shaved his head and he looked like a criminal for weeks!

When Martin raided the Lake/Wydd lost property and was so pleased with all his new clothes he acquired!

When Martin and I walked into Uni and a random girl started chatting to us just outside the medical centre. After talking to her for a while, including hearing a detailed account of her stool sample she’d had to provide, we said goodbye and carried on our way. It was only afterwards that we realised that neither of us knew her, we’d both just assumed the other person did!

When Martin and I walked to see the ducks at the hospital pond in Macclesfield. He was not impressed that the ducks didn’t want to eat his bread! He was also convinced everyone was watching him, and he thought it was funny when I told him that they actually were, what with it being a hospital and everything, rather than just saying to him that he was imagining it. He was always a great fan of honesty was our Martin.

When Martin and I both went to the university in Montpellier for our medical check-up that we needed to work in the lab. The nurse assumed we were a couple and asked us if we’d like any family planning advice- how we laughed!

When Martin and I walked to the lab in torrential rain one day. We knew we’d be soaked when we arrived so we took spare clothes to change into when we got there. Martin forgot to take spare shoes and socks though and walked around the corridors for the whole day making huge squelchy noises- it was hilarious!

And finally, something special that only Martin will be able to understand, but I really believe he’ll be reading through all these. After all, he was Martin and nothing was impossible when it came to him...

Je t’adore jusqu’a le fin d’éternité. You know, you know, you know, you know I want you! x

Cathy Brooks

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