Set out below are the words I tried to say yesterday at Russells's service. Some things you just can't or don't want to accept and the this joins my list very close to the top. Russell and I followed each other through the offices in the Lodge which built a bond that cannot be broken. He will remain in our thoughts and his name will remain printed in every summons as long as The edmonton with Chandos Lodge continues as will his Dad Stan before him. "Like everybody else here I cannot believe that I am standing here, this is both the first and the last place I would want to be today. Where I would ideally want to be is on the way to a Lodge meeting and to sit next to or opposite Russell and some of the people here today, as I have done for nearly thirty years and during dinner discuss the relative merits of Tottenham and another North London team whose name at the moment escapes me. I always enjoyed, even when I didn’t understand, the banter between the opposing factions. Those discussions really summed up Russell’s loyalty and dependability. He supported Tottenham through thick and a lot of thin and if they occasionally played badly he would say so, because he was always honest even if it hurt. Russell was somebody you would always want in your team or to be on your side because you knew that you could rely on him and that he would give 110%. I have known and very much liked and respected Russell since he was initiated in November 1980, into what was then the Edmonton Lodge and we followed each other through the various offices until I was honoured to install him into the chair in 1991, a role that he filled with distinction and sincerity, so much so that he was invited to take the chair again in 1994. I’ve got a footnote here that says not to mention that ‘It took a lot longer for them to ask me back into the chair’so I won't mention that. The way that Russell dealt with his illness has been an inspiration to me and has greatly increased my already high regard of him. During the phonecalls and the later visits to see him in Barts he never complained in any way to me, even when the news was obviously far from good. I hope that we may all be able to find the same dignity if we are ever placed in the same position. I am sure that all our thoughts and prayers are with Chris and the family. It has been a real privilege to have known Russell Smith and a greater privilege to have been able to call him Brother. So god speed Russell, words cannot begin to convey how much you will be missed.