'He was always the first to make you smile': Friends' kind act in memory of man tragically found dead in park

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

A group of men whose friend was tragically found dead in a park after going missing have paid a heartfelt tribute to him - and have now set up a group for men to open up about their mental health struggles in his memory.

Chris Drysdale, described as the 'life and soul of any party' and 'always the first to make people smile', was found dead in Plant Hill Park in Blackley on September 6, shortly after he had been reported missing.

The death of the well-known Manchester City fan, known affectionately as 'Dryer', sparked an outpouring of love and tributes in September, with hundreds turning out to pay their respects at his funeral on Friday (October 13). READ MORE Pastry-loving mum who 'reversed diabetes' reveals secret to losing two stone READ MORE Joy, cheers and quirky costumes as thousands pound the streets for Manchester Half Marathon Now friends Anthony Pythian, Jon Horricks and Simon Cooper, who all met Chris through their love for Manchester City, have set up a dedicated group in his memory for men to come together to exercise and open up about their mental health struggles. "Chris was always the type who was always the life and soul of every party and would be the first to make you laugh and smile," Anthony said. "He would be acting a clown and putting a smile on everyone else's faces. "At his funeral, all the pictures on the screen showed him smiling and laughing.

Like with many men, you wouldn't know just by looking at him what was going on, or how he was suffering. "Coming off the back of what happened with Chris, a group of us close friends got talking.