IN MEMORY OF IAN MCKAY

Ian Daglish

In 2006 we lost a good friend.

On 4^th September, Trevor Edwards, Shaun Carter, and I represented the ASL community at the funeral of Iain McKay. Iain's village church, in Wybunbury, Cheshire was packed to overflowing with family, friends, neighbours, and members of all the groups in which he was active. In spite of his deep love of ASL, Iain also made time for involvement with Church, Parish Council, plus various music and choral groups.

Those present at the 2007 Heroes meeting in Blackpool heard me reminisce about my first meeting with Iain. From his very first introductory telephone call, I realised that this ASL player was an extremely extrovert Australian. When he met me off my train at Crewe station, the state of his car (muddy!), its contents (heavily laden!), and aroma (farmyard!) betrayed his profession. What was an Aussie vet doing in Cheshire? 'God's own country for cows, Mate!'

Those who played ASL with Iain will not forget the experience. Probably most memorable were the ASL events he organized 'after hours' at tournaments, usually multi-player affairs with rules made up on the hoof and requiring various quantities of alcohol to be consumed. Not that Iain didn't take ASL seriously. As a play-tester, he was all you could wish for: analytical and methodical. Iain single-handedly organized MAD VET CON in his home village for a number of grateful ASL players, and none so grateful as this ASLer, since I am never again likely to see two simultaneous six-man games of the full Scotland the Brave CG. Thanks, Iain.

But 'serious' is not the way to remember Iain. Not for nothing did our friend acquire the title 'Mad Vet'. His presence was guaranteed to enliven any ASL meeting (and, for that matter, as we learned at the funeral, any other sort of meeting). Even when he broke the news of his serious problem of clinical depression, Iain put a brave face on things. 'The Mad Vet really is mad!' As a practicing veterinarian, Iain fully understood and openly described his ailment, and we hoped and expected that so vibrant a personality would make a recovery. Sadly, this was not to be.

Those who knew him will treasure their memories of Iain. For my part, there is one particularly important counter in my ASL collection: whenever its Heat of Battle roll generates Battle Hardening and Hero Creation, or goes Berserk, I shall think of my Aussie mate.