Losing someone close to you is never easy. However, when people come together to celebrate their life and remember them fondly it can help to ease some of the pain. Last year, the village hall in Croft-on-Tees became the centre-point of an event to remember a much loved member of their community who had sadly passed away far too early in life. One of the group who brought the entire village together was Richard Coates, who tells the sad but inspirational story of what happened.