Terrorist Bomb Victim Commemorated in New Novel

'It seemed only natural,' said Allan, ' as my novel, Tasting the Wind, was inspired by this episode of my life, that some of the people I met then would be models for characters in the book.'

None more so than David Heffer, and subsequent events made his inclusion as a character called 'Jamie' even more significant.

In 1992, David Heffer died, after an IRA bomb went off in a public house in Covent Garden, London. Although Allan had lost touch with David by this time, when he heard his name on the news he was devastated. Allan describes David as a great inspiration in his work with people with learning disabilities, and saw it as his duty to commemorate his life by immortalising him in the novel. And thanks to the miracle of the internet, former friends of David have been spotting the commemoration on Allan's website.

'I was contacted only last week,' said an amazed Allan, 'by someone who knew David before I did. I read with a lump in my throat how each year people from all over the country who knew him as a nursing student get together, and at some time during the evening always raise a glass to 'Heff.' It's safe to say that he will never be forgotten.'
 
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