Ollieshine.
I first met Ollie 18 years ago when he was at Backtrack studios. I remember the day and his cheery "hello" as he opened the door. It was a lucky day for me.
When I started writing this, I didnt know how to because there was so much to say and seemingly no where to start.
The start is sunshine. Ollie would frequently call people sunshine. It was his way of spreading a good vibe. He felt that you should always treat strangers as you would your family and friends. For this reason all strangers soon became his friends. Ollie was generous, warm and open because he was not afflicted by that aspect of human nature that is suspicious of the unknown. He couldnt understand it.
And so Ollie was also fragile and very precious. He wanted a perfect world but knew it wasn't going to happen. At the same time he was optimistic about "a couple of hundreds years from now". A dear friend of his, Ken, said to me that Ollie was like a rainbow of colours and yet at the same time very black and white with no shade of gray. His sense of morality was fixed, firm and so crystal clear. He could be extremely judgmental but never self-righteous.
He was a compassionate and ever so gentle a man. Yet when roused, the fire horse in him reared quite passionately. He was full of energy, a tightly wound coil that could either be released to bounce merrily like zeebeedee or explode like a bomb. I remember a trip with him on a bendy bus in East London several months ago. Ollie disliked buses, straight or bendy, and had an extremely cynical view of the solace found by many in religion, so the presence of an evangelical preacher on this bus proved a bit too much for him. He launched into an Ollie tirade against this unsuspecting man and succeeded in uniting, in protest, all the Muslims and Christians on the bus. There were a fair few. Thankfully it was a short trip and we got off before things got too difficult, though I must say, it was close. That was Ollie, he didn't shy away from saying what he honestly felt, something a number of people I'm sure would testify to. However, If ever he had a falling out with someone, it was always temporary. He would say "I like the person, its human nature I cant stand" .
Ollie was also self-sufficient, self-contained and a bit of a genius. He didn't read very much save for the Independent and football results. He had his internal compass and little need for fundamental guidance. He asked the questions himself. I have been struck by the eyes I have seen in the pictures of him as a 3 or 4 year old, he seems to have always been like this.
Ollie was at home with himself and so his loyalty and generosity flowed. He had an extremely agile mind and an acute sense of fun, you could talk to him for hours, probably laughing for most of them. We have all been so lucky to have had him in our lives.
A good friend of his, Lisa, wrote in one of the many lovely comments that have been made, "He influenced my taste in music, my sense of humour, my politics and morality - but, thankfully, not my taste in shirts" and I couldn't agree more, he did the same to me. I am a better person for having known him. He made you think and his charming bright twinkle meant that pretty much everyone he met took to him. Its no surprise he enriched our lives.
I believe that Ollie's wit and perception fed his creativity. Creativity and skill that he generously provided to others whether from behind a mixing desk, in front of a computer or on stage. He was never jealous of other peoples talents and would do all he could to bring out the best for them. He always gave his all. But whilst he had so many talents, he was not a salesman. He did try to develop the skill but it never sat squarely with him. Self promotion just did not appeal or hold his interest, he always had another project on the go to excite him.
Ollie was also a caring and thoughtful friend. A couple of months ago, on my birthday, we wandered around the South Bank which he loved and he led me to a shop with gorgeous woven jackets he knew I'd coveted for years and said "pick one missus" with a twinkle in his eye. We had a great time that day and ended up in a comedy club for a laugh and "a bit of research". He never stopped. Heading home, slightly worse for wear, we went up to some rickshaw drivers to ask the way to Holburn tube station. They pointed down the road and said "just up there". Ollies eyes lit up, he took one look at me and we jumped in for a very short and unnecessary ride. We giggled uncontrollably all the way. He was such fun.
His playfulness was infectious. I once looked up from my kitchen sink to find a little wooden cat he had given me balanced on a heart shaped stress ball that was itself wedged into a candle stick. It made perfect sense. He loved to set up a scene and then wait to watch it unfold.
And there was yet another side to Ollie. He needed and enjoyed certain creature comforts. He would carry around a cushion if he thought he might have to spend sometime on a hard chair. He would not travel without his slippers and to save carrying them back and forth, he left a pair at my house. He was a great planner. And he invariably brought a supply of kitchen towels "for his paws". He wouldn't wear jumpers that were too "scratchy" and always had bubbles in his bath. Comfy and tasty were words which when uttered, he said with great relish and satisfaction. He took pleasure from the little things in life.
He loved animals, cats especially, and got great pleasure peering through his binoculars at the birds resting outside. Those binoculars were always left conveniently on his window sill.
I will always cherish the days and nights of animated debate and laughter over politics, human nature then more politics and human nature. The fun we had dancing in my sitting room and his and Ollie's pogo inspired take on salsa. He was a man I admired and loved dearly. He was most wonderful.
The last time I saw him, it was hailing and storming so we abandoned an energetic afternoon for one watching back to back Columbo's, then he didnt want to play scrabble because he said I always got the lucky tiles. He was probably right as I was no match for him and needed all the help I could get. Anyway, we did play scrabble, I did get the lucky tiles and he won.
Annette Dada
April 2008
