There’s no way on this earth I think I would ever have stepped foot on a salsa floor had it not been for Rhodri! He had a magical way of guiding those around him and he was a brilliant people person. He’d coax me in to going along to Bar Cuba, along with Debs, Claire to the class ran by Andy, with me saying  “I absolutely will not dance” through 10 weeks of sessions and still remaining a complete beginner but we laughed and laughed the whole time, I was so grateful afterwards that he took me along. That was his way, he had complete focus and attention  to detail when he needed it but he also had a wicked sense of humour and loved to laugh.
Once we went out in Cardiff and met up with Annie, Rhod’s cousin. The De Lloyds were a playful bunch and Annie spotted a nurse across the bar and they both dared me to engage in a  “I was a patient of yours…” story. Rhod egged me on with this charade and so I went for it and convinced the nurse she had fixed me up a while back in the hospital, with Annie and Rhod in  stitches the whole time across the bar!

Despite the intense competition, Rhodri would always see the funny sides of things. We were playing Glamorganshire 1st team once at Porthcawl and their best player Nick Grimmit was having a terrible time in the thick Porthcawl rough and was throwing his clubs, swearing and glaring at us. Rhod said “He’ll never win anything  with an attitude like that!” and after we won, we laughed all the way back to clubhouse as we could see Nick Grimmit skidding out of the car park!

Ever the eternal optimist and a brilliant team man & captain, Rhodri would organise the annual Cambridge fixture and despite me hardly playing in later years, he’d still call me and ask if I was available and I’d list a handful of excuses of why I couldn’t play and he’d tear down each one- “I haven’t played in ages” to which he’d reply, no problem, I won’t play you top. “I can’t play foursomes with the new guys” No worries you can partner me, “My driving is terrible” …don’t worry you take the par 3’s.. he’d always get me to play in the end and we’d usually find a way to win and I was always gald I palyed in the end!

A few times, I thought matches were over, like our match at Llantrisant & Pontyclun against their top pair who would offer me as many poor lines as they could and Rhod would just laugh it off. I was driving awfully and snap hooked another one down the 17th, I thought that was the end of it and looked to floor.  Rhod just laughed and said no worries we’ll get it out of there. The opposition were just off in two, seemingly a par would win it for them. Rhod told me that he’d hack it back out and then I could stiff a wedge and put the pressure back on them, he just never even flinched once in any match, he never ever had any negative thoughts ever! He knocked it out of the awful lie I’d hit it in and I was feeling sheepish but Rhod was so positive, he told me to attack the pin, we weren’t done yet by a long way he told me. It somehow went in for a 3 and we won, I was slightly shocked but Rhodri just nodded and said “Yeah that’s how I saw it!”

Whatever the situation, under the greatest pressure, when the odds were stacked against us or just when you needed advice for anything he was a friend you could always depend on no matter what and his advice was always excellent and although I didn’t always follow his advice though I almost always wished that I had!

I feel extremely fortunate that I had managed to see Rhodri when I was home a couple of summers ago, despite him being so busy with work and with his family, he could still spare time to catch up and invite me to his house and he made me feel like I had never even left. In typical fashion, Rhodri wasn’t yet back when I arrived and Vikkie invited me in and I met her and their wonderful girls Alexa and Sofia. I was someone they had never met but they immediately made me feel welcome. Since I had last seen Rhodri, he had gotten married, had two wonderful children and I could see how immensely proud he was of his family and how much love he had for them all. Looking back, I can’t believe that was our last game of golf that weekend and that would be the last time I saw Rhod, but also, I am so very happy that I did see him that week and I saw how immensely happy and proud he was. Sometimes in life, we are guilty of taking things for granted and not seizing the moment but this was never the case for Rhodri, he loved his family dearly and lived for every moment.