Remembering Alan

Alan Amery was a very special person. He was a man in a million. He was so caring and kind and passionate about his birding. In all of the 35 years that I had known Alan, I had never known him have a bad word about anybody – he just wanted to remain neutral. He was such a happy person and his cheeky smile would always brighten up even the most depressing twitch. He was particularly special to me and I ranked him as one of my best friends in the hobby. He supported me on so many occasions when I was down, and always had time to listen. It is heartbreaking to know that our paths will never cross again. His dedication and enthusiasm for the hobby were second to none and over the years, I spent many hundreds of hours in his humorous and excellent company. I will never forget him.

We last spoke last September, just minutes after he had been lucky enough to witness a Black-browed Albatross fly south past Spurn Point. He was just so excited – beaming with joy. He had planned for his retirement at Spurn, and he and Christine had purchased a caravan at Sandy Beaches Holiday Park in Beacon Lane, Kilnsea, so that they could be right at the centre of the action. I remember on one of my last visits to Spurn I was lucky enough to find a Short-toed Lark at the Point – Alan was so pleased for me and as we stood watching it together, he gave me the customary handshake. What a beautiful guy – I will sorely miss you

Lee Evans