Ode to Stewart “Just take a Pebble” Half a Century has passed since our thoughts first entwined You were really very excited as you showed me your mind Overwhelming enthusiasm, on that day did mark us When I came up to your room and you showed me … Tarkus! You shook it before me saying that it was fantastic It’s amazing the effect of a small disc of plastic And little did we realise we were about to embark On half a century of friendship just then in Owens Park Always ready for a laugh and playing many games Remembering now the past and some of the names Remember very tall Robin with the mop of ginger hair When you jokingly asked him if “it was cold up there?” You got us to go to the Free Trade Hall When Emmerson Lake and Palmer really did enthral Emmerson jammed his keyboard by throwing steel knives What electric excitement you brought to our lives You took us to hear the Halle Orchestra perform When Standing for the National Anthem was the norm Except for our friend Peter who always flatly refused And we all gazed on at him most thoroughly bemused For a change we went to see Andre Segovia play And for several encores we stamped our feet for him to stay He was very apologetic but seemed quite inspired When he told us he was okay but - his guitar was a little tired In the summer we’d wander over to Platt Fields Park Taking boats out on the lake just for a lark Standing up in the boats when we knew we shouldn’t oughta And using the oars to wildly splash each other with water Then Littlecourt refectory and eating our meals Gobbling our food amid laughter’s peels Resulting from the many funny things that you said Then going back to our rooms all well and truly fed You were a wonderful person I’m so grateful to have known you Your influence enhanced so many lives And I bet they’ve never outgrown you As in ELPs song “Take a Pebble” The ripple you created still drives “Disturbing the Waters … of our lives” Fare to our friend Tony & Robin