Person Page - 121

     Charles Marie Frederick Mertens was born in Belgium.¹ He married Diana Challis Ashford Collins.

     Paul Maurice Greathead was born on 8 May 1968.² Paul died on 9 May 1968.^1,2 He was the son of Richard Norman Greathead and Elizabeth Frederika Doreen Flood-Murphy.

     Richard Michael Patrick Peter Greathead was born on 5 June 1975 in Johannesburg, Transvaal, South Africa.³ He was the son of Richard Norman Greathead and Elizabeth Frederika Doreen Flood-Murphy. Richard died on 5 February 2007 in Nelspruit, Transvaal, South Africa, aged 31 when an unlicenced driver in a stolen bus rammed the family car. Richard was killed, his mother was fortumately ok but his father spent a month in intensive care before making a full recovery.^4,3 An article appeared in the Evening Post of 12 February 2008 which read: Fundraisers swam the length of the channel in memory of a Bristol man who died in a car crash in South Africa. They dived in wearing fancy dress costumes to mark a year since Richie Greathead died at the age of 31. The sponsored swim at Horfield pool was organised by his partner Katherine Sparkes to mark the anniversary of his death on 5 February. She was at home in Bristol helping to raise funds for Children's Hospice South West on the night he died. Having got through the first year without Richie, Katherine felt the time was right to pay tribute to him. She has set up the Richie Trust to raise funds for the hospice and Make A Wish Foundation UK - two charities the couple both supported. Dozens of swimmers gathered at Horfield Leisure Centre to swim the length of the English Channel - 1,496 lengths of the pool - wearing mermaid, pirate, octopus and French costumes. Vicar Anne Farmer took part wearing her dog collar. Katherine, 27, said about 50 people swam, the youngest being a one-year-old, and dozens more were there to support them. "We think we will have raised about pounds 3,000. It was a lovely day. It went so well we are hoping to make it an annual event." Richie worked at Clifton Photographic and was training to be a photographer. He was born in South Africa but lived in Bristol almost all his life and the trip had been his chance to return to see where he was born. He died very close to the spot where he came into the world.^5,6