My first meeting with Sir George was not connected with the Findhorn Community at all.

As a family, Diana and the children had recently moved to Gloucestershire where I was training in furniture making in the style of the Arts and Crafts movement, doing an apprenticeship with Kenneth Marshall.

I read in One Earth Magazine (published by the Findhorn Foundation) that Sir George had started a spiritual group. I now forget its name, but the address showed it was not far from us.

The next day when I got back after lunch to Ken’s workshop, I found a visitor there. When he left, I asked Ken who he was, was he Sir George? Ken said yes, so I went out to speak to him. He invited Diana and I to visit him one evening – “But at 7.30pm, my wife goes to bed!”

It turned out that Sir George had been apprenticed for 2 years in another Arts and Crafts workshop and one thing he had made there was a chair in that style. He was intending to put it into an exhibition of the work of Gimson and the two Barnesly brothers, at Cheltenham Museum . Ken was also going to exhibit  a hallway table, which incidentally I had made, as well as some mirrors which were his speciality.

That was my first meeting with George.

Much later, after we had moved to Findhorn and I had set up my workshop and got started, I met him again when he was up for one of his visits as a trustee of the Foundation. He asked about my work and I invited him over. I remember him slowly looking at my work. I kept the desk I had designed and made as the ‘piece de la resistance’ and he confirmed that it was in the Gloucestershire style.

Richard Brockbank – desk

Later still he made what we all knew would be his last visit to Findhorn. After the meal in the CC (Community Centre) Craig spoke, then invited George to make a comment, which he did. However, we could all see in the face of this inspiring orator, always ready with the appropriate quote to roll out in his stentorian tones, the confusion as he tried to catch hold of that last thought for us but it had gone and he could not call it back.

Now I too, can come into that position, hunting for the end of that final quote. How we all felt for him and do now feel for ourselves and others in the same situation.