Please remember Alan

Happy Birthday Alan.

A tribute to this fine lad, to the tune of The Billy Boys:

Alan
Alan
He's 24 today

Alan
Alan
We hope that he's OK

Had it up to here with podcasting
Been missing since the last show

Oh Alan please come home if you're not dead.

It's a song his parents taught me last week after they'd had a family meeting. They wanted me to spread the word, in the faint hope that Alan might turn his life around, that one day he might tear himself from the streets and come home.

If you're out there mate, if you're reading this, please understand how much your parents love you, how much the listeners of the podcast love you, how much we all love you, and maybe if you understand this, you'll find your way back to happiness once more.

We're holding a vigil for you tonight lad. It's outside your flat. I'll be there with your family, together with some of your old friends from the Glasgow Tweetup, and we'll sing this song with hope in our hearts until you come back, or at least until you show us you're alive by calling the police to get us arrested.

I've lit a candle for you buddy.