My memories are a bit of a jumble as they span a number of years.
We were teeny tots when we met, I’m not sure exactly how old I was when we first met, but I can remember when there were only 3 Dees Children, so it’s been a while!
Marco and I looked for Narnia in wardrobes at Margaret Plants house as little ones and spent many Happy Sundays in Sunday School at Cannon Park. Chrisjan was kind enough to take me swimming with the family on Saturdays (I think at the Dolphin Centre?) and Marco was always keen to shark attack me and pull me under the water since I was vain enough to want to keep my hair dry (and nice!)
We moved away and I didn’t see the family for a few years and as this was pre-mobile phones there wasn’t any contact, and then we met up again mid-teens. I have so many lovely memories of dinner times together in Middleton St George and Anja shouting dinner’s ready in Dutch and the room emptying. If I was lucky someone (Marcs or Jon usually) would come back and get me. Washing up was then usually a group affair as was walking the dog.
I spent many hours sitting on the grass outside the house watching Marcs and his friends playing football and pretending to be interested. (The offside rule thankfully is no longer a mystery)
I remember swimming, well a quick dunk in the North Sea in the winter, as part of some charity endeavour Henrieke and Marco were doing – it was freezing and while Chrisjan was drying off a blue Henrieke, Marco and I had to chase our shoes which were merrily trying to swim out to sea! ( one of my favourite memories and I can’t talk about this story without giggling)
Marco taught me to play chess, heartily disapproved of my tactics and insisted with great exasperation, I learnt how to be logical. (I’m twice as old and still waiting on that logic when I play, sorry!) He also enjoyed shooting me at paintballing for my 16th birthday.
Marco was also the one who told me with great seriousness when we were about 17, that I was an ice queen and that I didn’t need to always keep everyone on the outside. He had this knack of seeing the things you didn’t realise you were showing to the world and pointing them out; even when you necessarily didn’t want to know! It was something that has always stayed with me and the older I get the more I realise frustratingly just how right he was. But he always had good insight.