UPDATE:

Sorry it's taken me so long to reply. I'm in shock.

Yes, it was him. I can't believe it. He was an alchoholic and (when drinking) got himself into such states he could hardly stand, so when you combine that with drinking on a riverbank with a load of other intoxicated people, I suppose it's likely that one day he's going to fall in/get pushed/whatever.

But even when he was drinking he was a really, REALLY nice guy, it's so hard to imagine im never going to see him again. The newspaper report said the people who found him saw a hand and a foot floating in the canal. I've been having nightmares about it all week. I used to walk the dogs there, but I can't go back there ever again. I cry every time I think about it.

RIP Merv - 1961-2006.

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And, as if that wasn't bad enough ...

I found out on Monday that someone else I knew has just been murdered. I didn't know him REALLY well but we hung out a few times and he was a friendly guy. His name is Tex. This is the report on the front page of my local newspaper:

CLICK

RIP Tex.

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I'm not having a good week.