26^th April, 2016
 
As the crowd dispersed from the court in Liverpool, an old man walked home alone. As he did so, he had the feeling of a hand pressed into his. Automatically, but not said for 27 years, he quietly said, "come on our kid, best be going home now".
 
Had one listened, you could have heard two sets of feet walk down the pavement, a moment later an additional 22 pairs of feet and a moment later, another 23 pairs of feet. Shortly afterwards, there was a brief rustle of feathers and the street was again quiet.
 
The old man smiled, although he was on his own again, somehow, he was not alone any more. 
 
When you walk through a storm, hold your head up high
And don't be afraid of the dark
At the end of the storm, there's a golden sky
And the sweet, silver song of a lark
 
Walk on through the wind
Walk on through the rain
Though your dreams be tossed and blown
 
Walk on, walk on
With hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone
You'll never walk alone
 
Walk on, walk on
With hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone
You'll never walk alone
 
 
'You'll never walk alone' by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, who wrote it for their musical Carousel in 1945. It was adopted by Liverpool football fans, perhaps from as early as 1963 when the Liverpool pop group, Gerry and the Pacemakers had a UK number one with it that year.
 
Of the 96 who died at Hillsborough, 23 of them were aged 17 or younger including one known to the author.
 
No parent should bury their child.