5 years ago on the 23rd March, one of our good mates in The Gathering left us for good. Nick Butcher was a great bloke and would have loved chatting to the new types we've got here in TGT. Dirty minded, full of fun and silly as they come!

Anyway. Each year Nick's parents give us £50 to award to the clan member(s) who've made the most positive difference to TG in the preceding year. We generally do it by a nomination process, so please PM me your choice with a short reason as to why.

This year, as we're part of TGT, I'd like to invite people from the other clans here to also nominate their choices if they wish, as it'll be interesting to see who's made an impact and why.

As ever, if you want to get in touch with the family, you can leave a message here. They are really impressed we're keeping this going, and they've posted a note on our homepage which everyone should read. :)

One of our occasional members, and an old friend of the community [FOG] Buster has bravely undertaken to take part in a 30 mile highland bicycle ride followed by a 43 mile hike to raise funds for Maggie's Cancer Caring Centres.

Cancer is a terrible disease that can destroy lives and families, it touches upon all of us bringing heartache and misery. Maggie's Cancer Centres are spread across the world, as well as having an online presence. They offer help, advice and support to victims and their families and they have been described as "A community Jewel" by Michelle Obama the First Lady of the United States.

You can support Buster in his self inflicted but selfless ordeal by visiting http://www.justgiving.com/ItekSoSolidCrew and making a donation. It doesn't matte how much or how little you can contribute as long as you make the effort.

Well done Buster, it's good to see someone putting themselves on the line to help others, we'll eagerly be awaiting pictures of your misery!

It's been a long time coming! We know you've been absolutely aching to read them... well, ache no more!
Here they are; the winning essay, and the runners up of The Group Thing's Win Left 4 Dead 2 essay contest!

The winning essay
by eQ Shiv

Gaming has enabled me to live in one of the most beautiful countries in the world and spend 10 hours a day, everyday, staring at a screen in a dark room.

My addiction to gaming started early, one of my oldest and fondest memories is sitting behind Dad as he battled bats and demons in a fantastical underground dungeon. I was barely old enough to understand what was going on beyond the pretty colours and explosions but that didn't matter. I wasnt even playing, that didn't matter either. it was like watching the best movie ever and someone in the audience is in control, you can give them input and react to the enviroment with them. It was my faveourite part of the day, Dad would explain things in the game to me and I would point out that a bat is hitting him and he really ought to wack it back before his mighty character topples.

Read the full unedited essay here!

Runners up

• How Much Gaming Has Changed My Life (Notepad.txt download)
  by eQ Jade
• How Gaming Has Affected My Life (Word.doc download)
  by TG|Zymon

The Group Thing congratulates eQ Shiv for writing a winning essay and thus recieving a copy of Left 4 Dead 2!
We would also like to thank the runners up for their great submissions.

Four years ago on this day, the 6th of January I received the kind of telephone call that no one ever wants to receive.

Broken with tears, an anguished voice called out my name across a telephone line and told me that my very good friend Jon Bridges had died.

Jon Bridges, also known online as eQ eVilAsmo was an aspiring artist of significant talent, who was about to be promoted to junior director in the company Pivotal Games.

He was driving from his home in the south of England to visit his girlfriend, close to where I live in South Yorkshire when the police think he had what is called a micro sleep, he strayed from his side of the motorway and hit an oncoming vehicle.

Jon died instantly in the impact, the only fatality, I won’t describe his wounds as I noticed them when I saw his body later at the hospital, but I will remember them forever.

Jon was a gamer, an artist, a game designer, a good man and he was my friend. He was eQ, we all knew him and some of us loved him very dearly, he was ours!

When he left us we all felt a hole in our lives that echoed with the ghost of his humour, his laughter, his gentle wry sarcasm and the unique point of view that he carried.

Jon would dearly have loved TGT, the mild blend of insanity, camaraderie and talent that we have here. His chastisement of my more lunatic behaviours now goes unsaid, except in the quiet words of Salteh and SylvanFae who loved him as deeply as I did.

So on this cold and snowy winters day, I would like to take a quiet moment to remember Jon “eVilAsmo” Bridges and to share that memory with all of you.

Take a moment after reading this to consider your friends and loved ones, how much time you have spent with them recently and whether they understand how you truly feel about them.

A few moments, a few words can last at least one lifetime.

To you Jon, wherever you are my friend, we remember.