Mat was one of my favourite people in the whole world. He was always so much fun to be around and so genuinely warm, caring, thoughtful and kind. I remember so many positive things and I'm bound to have forgotten even more, but here are my strongest memories when I think of Mat...

I first met Mat at lunchtimes in the Metaswitch (well Data Connection back then!) canteen and very quickly realised that he was one of the most fun people to be around. In fact, the main reason I'm always happy to volunteer to organise the tables for our friends at the work Christmas party is that I get to choose who is on my table. I would always do my best to make sure Mat and Helen were sitting with me if I could, as I knew that wherever they were, the most fun would be had (and that silly hats/wigs would be pretty much guaranteed)! I'm also fairly sure that Mat was one of the main instigators of the ill-advised human pyramid at a Christmas party a few years ago. I, as the smallest, had to climb to the top, even though everyone knew I was the clumsiest...miraculously no major incident occurred!

Mat was always happy to go out of his way to help others and, thinking back now I realise just how many things Mat taught me, helped me out with or gave me advice on.  

Many years ago, I was keen to start cycling again but nervous about cycling on the roads and I didn't have a clue about how to choose a bike. Mat took the time to reassure me and he and Helen also took a whole day out of their weekend to go bike shopping with me and patiently went round many bike shops and helped me choose. I remember Mat saying "you'll know when you've found the right bike, as when you ride it, you'll have a big smile on your face." He was right. I still have that bike (along with 2 others I've bought since!) and I certainly will always smile and remember Mat whenever I ride it.  

Mat also encouraged me to get into running regularly. I used to think I hated running, until Mat pointed out that I was just probably trying to run too quickly and he persuaded me to come out for a leisurely run with him at lunchtime. Well, he actually told me that the best way to make sure you don't run too quickly was to keep chatting, which led to us going on many chatty lunchtime runs. With Mat's fun conversation to distract me, I stopped seeing running as a chore and now I go running all the time.  

It was also during our chatty runs that Mat took the opportunity to quiz me about how my online dating was going. Whenever I started to despair at ever finding someone, Mat's ever-positive attitude always helped me to see the light at the end of the tunnel. In fact, on one run, I was telling Mat that a guy who's profile I'd really liked had sent me a set of difficult questions and (in typical Metaswitch style!) I was overthinking and worrying about how to reply. Mat simply told me to stop worrying, be myself and just write what came naturally...and it seems it was good advice as I ended up going on a date with the guy and we've now been together for years!

A selection of other random things that Mat taught me:
 - How to cook steak properly...though this did result in my setting off the smoke alarm in my house the first time I tried!
 - Not to be scared of using sharp knives in the kitchen...but to be very scared of using them on glass chopping boards!
 - That you don't wear underwear under cycling shorts...though it took a while before I believed that!
 - That I'm not the only one who likes an excessive amount of garlic in everything (and thanks again Mat and Helen for the elephant garlic and garlic recipes!).

Finally, Sunny also asked me to include a correction to her story re the murder mystery party...Mat did indeed have an excellent giant fake moustache and was doing a brilliant job of being a bustling English military officer. Towards the end of the evening, James Broughton, as a good host, offered port to us all, which I gratefully accepted. I was just taking a sip of my port and I turned round to see that Phil had tried on Mat's moustache. For some reason he looked so ridiculous that, before I knew what was happening, I'd spat my mouthful of port all over James' white table cloth and dining chair covers...oops...(fortunately the port washed out, I think...)!

Thank you Mat for being such a great friend.  It's so unfair that your time has been cut so short, but you certainly made the most of the time you did have!  You've clearly brought so much to so many people's lives that you'll be sorely missed and never forgotten.

Sending lots of love to Helen, Sam and Jack xxxx