Pat Cochrane - Introduction to the day

Welcome to today’s gathering to celebrate the life and legacy of our dear friend, partner, son, brother, godfather, uncle and nephew Nick.  Thank you for coming.

I’m Pat. A good friend of Jamie and Nick’s. Jamie has invited me to guide us through this afternoon and evening

I first met Nick nearly 26 years ago on Bonfire night 1997– on the very day I had been offered a new job, leading an organisation working around creative teaching and learning in Leeds and Manchester. No one had heard of it I thought, it didn’t yet exist, but there was Nick in my kitchen to meet a mutual friend and he knew all about it. He was probably the only person in Sheffield who did!  From then on, we worked together and gradually grew to know and respect each other and to become friends.  

Nick was a hugely supportive colleague. I particularly remember one week when we were hosting education leaders from all over Europe to explore leadership and creativity. A sudden life changing event had left me in a deep state of shock. Nick gently stepped in to lead the process, with a kind, gentle consideration supporting me through that week.

I think we will hear many such stories this afternoon.

When Jamie became a bit of a star in Turkey and for several years academics came to study and collaborate with him, it was Nick’s idea that they could stay at mine so over a number of years, we developed a lovely, shared friendship with some wonderful friends from Turkey.

Our friendship moved into another stage when Jamie and Nick were moving to their new house.  Nick called me: they needed a place to stay for a few months while the house was being done up.  Could they stay at mine? They would bring a couple of cases and no more he assured me… They stayed for nearly a year (and brought rather more than two cases) but that was the beginning of a wonderful year with many evenings together around the kitchen table eating, and having rich conversations about politics, art, what we were reading, the state of education. There was also a bit of TV watching and remarkably patient IKEA kitchen planning for their new home.

And then, during the years of the pandemic and when Nick was shielding, I would meet with him every week or so for a walk up the Porter Valley, starting in Endcliffe Park and making our way up the valley through the woods to the Forge Dam café where Nick would generally order tea and his favourite chips…

It was impossible to do this walk without Nick stopping to have conversations with one of his many friends. Focused, warm, open, curious, engaged.  We can’t offer you chips, but we’d like you to enter this day with the spirit of Nick walking up that valley - focused, warm, open, curious, engaged.

And now I’d like to pass over to Jamie who will talk more about Nick and the aspirations for the day.