We sort of fell out for a while after that. I've always felt that I became The Man Who Knew Too Much. Perhaps Philip felt vulnerable when I was around. He knew that I was totally disapproving of his use of heroin (I'd gone at him after I saw burned tinfoil in the house - Philip enjoyed 'chasing the dragon'.). He swore to me that he had never injected the stuff and I believed him. He said "Jim, I always have that sussed". What do you do in a situation like this?. Do you disapprove and thus risk being cut out of the gang for being a killjoy or do you fake approval in order to remain in favour?. I chose the former and duly lived with the consequences.

This estrangement in our relationship lasted only a few months and soon we were great buddies again, but it was never the same. I cared about him too much to be complacent and as I was vociferous in my opposition to his use of heroin he slowly but surely distanced himself from me, as he did to all his other close friends. Philip could be very manipulative at the best of times and it was a skill that was sharpened by his addiction. Example : In one of my many futile bids to get him up and running, I persuaded him to buy a bicycle in order to get himself physically fit again. Every time that I would speak to him I would ask him about the bike and he would say " Oh, I've just cycled up to the village and back" or "Jaysus Jim, I'm bolloxed, I've just cycled round the Head! (Howth Head)". Caroline told me years later that he'd never once got up on the bike and that the whole thing was a scam to keep me happy...and quiet.