Morning Efes. In some ways Dave’s departure didn’t come as a shock. As you say, Staggie had always been a difficult person to deal with but in the early 90’s he seemed to get worse. I noticed at the ‘Britain in Tunisia’ event, he organised, that both he and Martine were not the exuberant and outgoing couple I had seen in the past. I am wondering if they knew then that Martine was seriously ill. After the event Dave seemed to be going through the motions. He continued for a while but finally Peter thought it better he leave.
Later, after setting up on his own, he popped up again. Iran Med was planned and we were asked by the Trade Association tasked with forming a British group to quote for the freight and other connected services. Imagine our surprise when Dave got the job. I took this personally and set out to punt for the business even though we weren’t appointed. We were determined to win and offered our full service including flights and hotels.
There were about fifteen or sixteen companies participating and I personally visited every one even flying up to Edinburgh on ‘Good Friday’ they worked that day in Scotland. Dave finally picked up three clients plus the trade association who were duty bound to use him but I picked up the rest both for freight and their travel arrangements. There really wasn’t enough freight for two forwarders to fight over but Dave had to be onsite in Tehran as he was the appointed agent. It was not a pleasant sight. I met him in the pavilion just after he arrived. It was a cordial meeting but he looked completely lost and out of it. I really felt sorry for him.
At the end of Iran Med we went our separate ways. I never saw 'Staggie again. It was Liz Calderwood, Peters ex, who rang me later to tell me Martine had died and it was Liz again a few years later who rang me and told me Dave had been found dead in a hotel room in London. A sad end.
