More Huw Reminiscences (Clubspark is pretty useless and restricts words on each page)

From Mandy - “Our friend Mongo” Firstly I would like to thank you for putting up this tribute to, as you say, a really great guy. Much as yourself I thought I would Google the name Huw Wauchope and to my surprise came across your page. I, together with my husband, were for many many years I would like to think one of Huw’s best friends. In fact my husband was in the same class as him in their grammar school. Yes we too are originally from Shrewsbury and also moved to London just as Huw. His girlfriend that you refer to is to this day my best friend. We knew Huw as Mongo. Don’t ask me why that was just so. Even though it is now 18 years since his untimely death we still think of him every week. It’s hard when one of your friends commits suicide as you always ask yourself what could you have done. As already pointed out Mongo had gone to a place where his demons took over. However let’s go back to the good times first. Indeed Huw squatted most places. We had most contact when he was living in Cresset House, Hackney. He was always jumping between partying and his love of tennis. He was a made Marc Bolan fan too. During this time he also got my husband a job as cricket coach also at Clissold Park. In 1992 my husband and I moved to Holland. We also enjoyed smoking weed as much as Mongo did. Of course after that we lost contact a bit but still kept in touch. It was at this time that Mongo started travelling to such places as India and seem to lose himself deeper and deeper in a far away place in his head. I remember seeing him once in the UK not long after we had moved away and it just didn’t seem to be the same Mongo. However, as I say we always stayed in touch. We have far out letter sent to us from India which are very hard to understand when he is telling us about his travels. As I have said by this time I was living with my husband in Holland. One evening very very late the phone rang and it was Huw on the line. He sounded good and said he was calling from India and was planning to visit us. He had also sent 2 large packages of Indian Hippy Clothes to us which is was going to sell in Europe which we should keep for him. Prior to coming to us he said he was going to go to Denmark and would be in touch from there to let us know when he would be with us. A week or two went by and no news from him. Then our friends started calling from the UK to see if he had been in touch with us as he was at this point considered to be missing. We told what we knew and to be honest did not think anything of it as just thought that’s Mongo he will turn up as promised. He didn’t. A few days later I got the call from the UK that he had been arrested in Denmark (not Amsterdam) and had killed himself in custody. It was indeed the day before he was due to be deported. I will never forget waiting for my husband to come home from work and having to tell him. Remember they actually went to school together and what was I to say. Soon after this the parcels of clothing arrived from India as Mongo had said. We really do not know what happened as what he said that night on the phone were definitely his plans and intentions but he did not make it. Since this day no matter what time our telephone rings I will pick it up as you never know it may be the last chance you get to speak to the caller. We travelled from Holland to Shrewsbury for the funeral. We actually sold the clothes to finance our fare. We guessed it is what Mongo would have wanted. The funeral was packed. Travellers from all over the place. It was of course an extremely sad sad day and a great big hole was left in our life. On this, the eve of his death, I am of course very sad that he is not here anymore but extremely proud to say he was one of our best friends and know he still would be if he was here today. Mandy & Paul