I first met Menos when I went to work for him at Hull York Medical School in 2005.  He immediately took me under his wing as anatomy was a whole new world to me and I didn’t have a clue what I was meant to be doing.  He was protective, supportive  and made coming to work a pleasure, we laughed so much every day. He was always the first one in the office in a morning and I was greeted everyday with Ello Luv and we’d discuss whatever t-shirt he was wearing that day, he had a wide variety of slogans and designs.
 
Menos loved teaching, he had the students hanging on his every word.  He was regularly referred to as THE LEGEND.  He always added humour to his sessions and there was nothing he didn’t know about anatomy.  Walking across campus with Menos always took much longer than it should have as he was greeted by so many people, staff and students alike wanting to pass the time of day with him.  He always had time for everyone and made them feel important.  There were no airs and graces about Menos, he spoke to everyone exactly the same, no matter who they were, no one was safe from the Menos comedy insults.
 
Menos hated computers, paperwork and bureaucracy.  On one occasion he had been tasked with creating a flow chart for senior management.  He asked me to help him and neither of us knew how to do it.  Our effort was so bad we got the giggles.  I can remember him saying “Jackie luv I can’t show em this” as we both burst into fits of laughter once again, it looked like it had been done by a 5 year old on a bad day.  His quick wit and humour saved the day on many occasions and this was one of them when he had to show what we had produced.
 
I could never read his writing which led to many comedy gold moments, where he’d pretend to be offended and then not be able to read it himself.
 
One year I was going to Crete on holiday.  He offered to teach me some Greek phrases to use.  Typical Menos, what I thought I was saying and what I was actually saying were two completely different things.
 
We spent regular lunch times in the pub with other anatomy team members, discussing our shared love of football, him with his beloved Leeds Utd and me, Ull City (Menos’s way of saying it).  He always had so many interesting tales to tell, he was excellent company.
 
Menos talked about his family all the time, often in his jokey way, but his adoration of Hilary and the girls shone through.
 
Just a few of the many lovely memories I have of this unique and amazing human being, he really was one of a kind.
 
Jackie xx