Working together at Moulsford Prep School for the best part of 10 years Mark showed himself to be a highly valued colleague, but much more importantly than this to me was that he was a cherished and much loved friend, indeed my best friend at the school during this period.

Our teaching responsibilities saw us work together in many different areas of the school. Throughout most of the 90s, and under the watchful eye of the great and much missed Ged Coates, we coached various rugby squads together, including the Colts teams and then the senior XVs - Mark, being the far better rugby player than I was, naturally took the A team and 1st XV respectively and proved himself to be a superb coach who always got the most out of his players such was the respect and love he engendered. During this time Moulsford became renowned for its rugby prowess and much of the success the school enjoyed in this area certainly resulted from Mark's dedicated input. Throughout the summer, not being avid cricketers, we also coached athletics together.

On the academic front Mark, though primarily a historian, worked along side me in the Classics Department where his ability to bring to life the Greek Myth stories was a joy to behold and most inspiring to all the boys. However, it is memories of my time with Mark on school trips that I most particularly cherish - Mark loved school trips. And there were countless trips including both day and residential trips, the most memorable of these being the Leavers' walking holidays in Snowdonia, ski trips to the Alps and educational cruises in the Mediterranean; and though eight years my junior Mark was inevitably the initiator and the man in charge - he was a veritable organiser and a most trusted leader. And a consistent feature of all the residential trips, beyond the constant laughter, was Mark's ability to cajole me (and any other staff member involved), exhausted though I was after another long day, to stay up into the early hours of the morning so as to play endless games of cards or simply pursue deep conversations of a philosophical nature; Mark seemed to be able to survive without sleep, a feat of stamina I suspect resulting from his diet consisting of little more than black coffee!

In the holidays, a time when many teachers prefer not to socialise with each other, we frequently met up to play tennis, both singles and doubles, the latter often involving our great mutual friend Ged Coates and Mark's brother, Rob. Mark was always generous in giving of his time and DIY skills when a friend required his help to undertake home improvement projects etc.  I was hugely grateful when he slaved away one hot summer helping me to dig out a water garden and pond I had ambitiously planned. On another occasion, at short notice, he agreed to house and pet-sit for my family when when we had been let down at the last minute just before going on holiday; the benefit of having Mark in this capacity was that upon our return we found the house cleaner than it had ever been before - Mark had even completely re-sorted my CD collection into alphabetical order! Mark was that kind of friend - always willing to drop things to lend a hand for one of his mates.

When Mark announced he was leaving Moulsford at the end of the academic year in 2000 it was widely appreciated that the school was losing a much loved and highly dedicated member of staff. On a personal level I was desperately upset that such a dear friend was moving on; however, despite my sadness I knew he was making the correct decision. Mark had loved working at Moulsford, but he was still young and he wanted a fresh challenge. At the same time there was always the sense that there was a big gap in his life, and of course it was meeting Gill on a rugby trip in South Africa, and the ensuing love for her that really drew Mark away from Oxfordshire. Marriage to Gill and the birth of their two wonderful sons, Luke and Toby, filled that gap in his life that had been so evident - to have and be part of his own family, I know, meant the absolute World to him.

I deeply regret that I saw so little of Mark over the last twenty years, but I appreciated that he was someone who tended not to pay a great deal of attention to his past, but instead was always looking ahead for inspiration. That he has been taken from us - all his colleagues and friends - and his beloved family, when he should have been looking forward to many more years of joy and contentment is so desperately sad and unfair. I for one can at least rejoice in the knowledge that Mark and I were friends - he was truly a great man and a wonderful human being. He will be sorely missed.

Steve Dismorr