Steve had been a trustee of Sustainable Wales for five years. Members of the SW board had known him for a little longer, from when he worked at the University of Glamorgan, on the ‘Science Shops’ initiative, and other projects.
It’s a tragedy that his move to Porthcawl proved so brief. Steve had come to love the town, and especially its marine light. He’d begun with Sue to walk their dog, Millie, on Sandy Bay in front of the fairground.
At his very last SW trustees’ meeting, he talked about coffee, his love of it, the threats to it, and the variety of cafes Porthcawl offers. On his visits to the Hi Tide café, with its wonderful views, he was already thinking about future writings.
All of us regret that we won’t see him again in the Lorelei Hotel, outlining his ideas, talking excitedly about the future. Steve would speak so quickly it seemed he was racing against time. And this proved true.
Steve Harris was a very important part of Sustainable Wales, with his essays, his blogs, his scientific rigour, and his all-round encouragement. He was especially looking forward to developing the website. On November 25 last year, he wrote this.
“Our best strategy with the website is to keep loading it with original material that can’t be found elsewhere, and to keep it, as far as we can, continually renewing.”
To illustrate his optimism and “excitement for living”, on the day before he died he had even asked us to bring him a particular novel.
The Steve Harris ‘Songbook’ is a collection of about twenty lyrics given to Howard Vause, his former song-writing partner. Howard has made a PDF of these lyrics (available from Sustainable Wales) and we hope he will be able to compose music for some of them, and that ultimately these songs might be performed.
Steve’s ‘Letter from the Future’ (on this site) was read at his wake by Rhodri Thomas.
Go to the Harris family website for details of his music, his scientific concerns, his family and his Buddhist faith.
Originally published Wed, February 27, 2013