After reading the Eulogy there is little I can add except maybe a couple of illustrations from the perspective of a buddy, rugby colleague and workmate.
When I return from travelling I will most certainly post a few photographs from my Butterfield archive, my favourite of which shows Sam prior to Imperial's rugby tour to Derby a couple of years ago. To see the man I first admired during my pupillage at Albion and then as the hard tackler on the rugby field already described by others, painted bright blue, with a white hat he'd made himself, wellies and not an ounce of self consciousness - was truly a sight to behold. I was dressed similarly, both as tour 'virgins' with the Imps - the only difference was Sam's strong desire to flag a taxi down in the street or get the bus, rather than to book a taxi to collect us from my flat to transport us to the club. As others have described - the smile never left his face as I sheepishly, and Sam, brazenly, wandered down the road.
The second relates to a photo posted by John and Ginge, the close-up of Sam's Romanesque nose (of which he was so fond of picking) taken on Albion's ski trip to Meribel last year. That particular photo was taken to try and record the effect of Sam's patented skipole-to-the-nose braking system, which he used to slow his descent after a fall on a black run. Despite skiing being his least favourite sport, or so he led us to believe, he always told me he loved 'the crack' of it, the time spent with friends, the camaraderie, Sam down to a 't'. I will truly miss Sam on those ski trips, the borrowed gear, the ill-fitting boots, the beach towels as faux chaps (only!) in the hottub (to continue the nakedness theme) and Sam's special ski hat with the ear flaps making him look like a demented basset hound skiing, sometimes in control, into the distance.
I have many happy memories of my time spent with Sam, for that I will always be grateful.
Rich Shepherd
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