David Davin-Power: Stardust apology is a testament to the relatives of the 48 people who never came home

Simon Harris listened to the Stardust campaigners

David Davin-Power

One by one their shades flickered into life before us. Elvis impersonators, Dubs fans, young parents, messers, serious youngsters, some on the verge of careers, others focused still on family, all of them ­going places that they never got to.

It was not hard to imagine them smiling, waving and giving us a brief thumbs up before shimmering and fading, each replaced in turn by a pal or neighbour who now too would never grow old.