During 2012 I lost several friends and relatives. Each had featured fully, in large parts of my life.
I did think long and hard about whether I should write this blog post and then whether it needed to be published. In the end, I decided that as my various blogs (especially this one) are catalogues of my life, it would be disrespectful not to acknowledge the contribution these five have made to it.
Jim Scott first came to my attention at Deighton Junior School, when he burst into my classroom and cheekily spoke back to the teacher. That was back when the school intake was Jan 1st to December 31st – we were both born in the same year, Jim in January and me in December. He would have been 62 tomorrow. Mischief could well have been Jim’s middle name and for many of the following 50 years, he was a constant in my life. An ardent trades unionist, Jim was always on hand to offer well informed, well meaning advice and guidance for all aspects of life and he always challenged, channelled and (often) changed my views and my laziness. When John Rousell and I cycled coast to coast in 1999 Jim couldn’t join us for one reason or another – but completed the journey alone at a later date! Jim died from complications caused by a malignant melanoma he’d contracted whilst pumping a damp proof course into his house. 😦
I didn’t know Shane all that well I’m afraid, he was too young and lived too far away to see often. Shane Pueschel was Sharon’s nephew; her sister Joanne’s son. At 18, he was far too young to die. Shane had collapsed on the dance-floor of a club in Lincoln where he was attending university and until the Coroner’s Inquest is completed later this year, it’s hard to be certain of the cause of death. However, there are questions surrounding the emergency first aid he received (or didn’t).
I wrote about Jim and about Shane previously: https://saturdaywalks.wordpress.com/2012/02/05/red-bull/
Similarly, Sharon’s mum Pat was a more recent part of my life. She’d visited us a few times over the years and we’d visited her in America, where she lived, Sharon more than me. Pat had been in remission from cancer for almost five years when it came bounding back last year. This time though, it was terminal. The sisters, Joanne, Gail, Sharon and brother Steven had discussed end of life care for Pat and had agreed that Joanne, the nurse, would be better placed to fulfil that function. However, at the time such care was required, her own loss (Shane) made that impossible and Gail moved into the breech. Sharon did what she could too but in the end Pat passed away in May.
Towards the end of the year, I heard that Andrew Triggs had died. Although Andrew and Ruth had lived next door to Sue and I all the time we lived in Linthwaite, I’d not seen them for many years. Towards the end of my marriage to Sue (my first life!) we had a fish and chip shop next door to Andrew and Ruth. We ran this for six years until it was uneconomical and we both took up new careers, eventually separating in 1996. we lived next door to the Triggs for fourteen years. Andrew was a real character, lots of fun to be with and a great supporter of my early attempts at computing. We often sat outside the back of our house, or in their conservatory until the early hours of the morning: it was Andrew who taught me the correct mix for gin and tonic 😉 and for that, I am ever grateful.
Much closer to home and more recently, my Aunty Dot died. Aunty Dot was my dad’s sister and would have been 80 next. My first memory of Dot was of her carrying me up the stairs to bed whilst singing ‘Rock Around The Clock’ – I can’t have been very old. I always liked Aunty Dot, she was lively and very pretty – as a child I hoped that my own daughter (should I ever have one) would be ‘as’ pretty, a wish that was delivered in spades – my daughter and both of her girls are exceptionally gorgeous. Aunty Dot always lived close to my grandma and although I enjoyed visiting both, it was always fun to visit Dot (and Brian). Their daughter Janet, my cousin, now lives in Jersey, where Dot passed away after falling ill whilst visiting. Janet has lovingly overseen the last few weeks of Dot’s life and has kept everyone up to speed with developments. She has been a tower of strength for Uncle Brian and my dad – both of whom will now miss a very important woman in their lives.
Rest in Peace.
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Whilst I’ve been out and about walking this month (although there’s not been too much of that because of the snow), I’ve been surprised at the amount of rubbish to be seen here and there – just discarded without a care. 
It must be a case of being able to pull up at the side of the road and throw the stuff out without being seen. The lazy bastards could take a slightly longer journey and take their crap to the tip – it opens every day and it’s free!
Saturday Walks 