The "I *heart* Thomas" project: the idea

Due to recent changes in immigration law, my dear friend Thomas found himself no longer eligible to remain in the UK once his student visa expired. He had seven days to pack his bags and dismantle his life in London.

Once tears had been shed and rage had subsided, it became clear to us that a decent send-off was needed, and fast. On Monday afternoon, a flurry of emails between a few of Thomas' close friends resulted in the birth of the I *heart* Thomas project.

The idea was simple: get as many as people in Thomas' life as possible to pose for photos holding signs resembling the "I love NY" t-shirts you see everywhere, then email them back to us to be placed in an album. The photos would then be presented to Thomas at his leaving party on Thursday evening.

Time was tight: we had three days to put the whole shebang together. An email address was set up, instructions sent to friends around the world (with no fewer than THREE prohibitions against telling Thomas, thanks Fergus!), and signs were made.

We sat back, and waited.