I met David in the 1983 while on a botanical excursion to Kashmir. This tour was guided by Oleg Polunin. After suffering a sprained ankle while jumping a creek, David gave me first aid by his skill as a veterinary surgeon. In 2004 I've driven David to visit his Grandfather's home in the Black Forest, South Germany. We also visited various important orchid sites. On our way back to Hattingen David was very excited to see a black woodpecker in flight. We have exchanged lots of letters over the years, sharing our botanical passions.
