Hello people hope your all well I expect nothing much has changed around here, lots for me to catch up on though.
Most of you will have noticed I have not been around for a while. I have had so much going on in my personal life it's been a bit of a major eye opener. I lost a very close friend of mine Roy that I had known (had known sounds weird
) for close to 30 years. He was 75 years old and had been a smoker since he was 12, a heavy smoker at that. Capstan Navy cuts for many years for rolling joints so no filters involved. He got taken into hospital as he had breathing difficulties for what we thought was chest problems, emphysema he also had asbestosis of which he was compensated for many years ago and as a consequence had half of his intestine removed a few years back. Because of this he had problems keeping his weight on. Food was literally in one end and out another. It seems he went downhill from then Anyway I digress.He basically got taken into hospital and when they done a scan they found he was absolutely riddled with cancer. How this didn't get caught sooner I don't know. We was told that there was nothing they could do at this advanced stage and he had between 3 weeks and 3 months to live. He passed away 3 days later. sh1t I can almost feel the tears wanting to creep out as I right this. It's not easy to write. I saw him him a couple of days before and all he wanted was to go home get stoned and listen to his music. This is how he wanted to die. He was simply waiting for the Hospital and the Macmillan nurses to sort things out and organising meds etc so that he could go home. He never managed to get home and died with all his dignity in tact with friends around him. The hospital, Chelsea and Westminster where really good and when the final moment came they had a nurse give him, shall we call it, pain relief which sent him out on a high.
It's been hard and really hit me and others hard. He was the Grandfather that my best friends 12 year old daughter never had. The noise from her when we told her he died I never want to hear that again. Absolutely heartbreaking. She was obviously devastated. I then had to help with arranging the funeral and gathering photo's for a sideshow at the wake. I have had to make the order of service and get them printed etc.. I also had to go to his flat and go through all his stuff. That felt weird. We where looking for his NI number for notifying the gov that he has passed away and came across real personal things we felt uncomfortable with like old love letters and other sentimental things he kept for years. We discovered a life of Roy before we knew him. Trying to workout what music to play at his funeral was hard too. 50\s 60's 70''s etc quite a few decades of tunes amongst his collection. His farewell song was Poetry Man by Phoebe Snow and then the closing music was Meet Me On the Ledge by The Fair pod Convention. he was by no means religious man so it wasn't a religious service and we had a copy of the Racing Post and a betting slip and pen on the coffin along with a big fat Green one. We have also had to clear his flat of all his possessions. It's strange....we go through life collecting things and when we are gone it simply means nothing to us anymore and what is left of our life's either goes to someone else or ends up in a Black bag. I have got his old dope weighing scales to remember him by. There's been quite a few hundred Kilo's weighed out on them over the years.
He didn't want any Black to be worn at the funeral and we was under orders for absolutely no flowers. Any money that would otherwise go to flowers should go to a charity for children with cleft lip. He watched a documentary a while back that got to him. We managed to make just over £500 at the wake for Smile We gave him a good send off including a small firework display in the middle of a common in central London. 40 Chinese lanterns a few large rockets and some Blue rookies. I'm surprised plod didn't turn up. I was expecting them on the scene as soon as I let the first rookie off. We certainly gathered a crowd of members of the public on the common.
OK that's enough writing for now got loads to catch up on including some PMs which I shall slowly get through. Got to get life back on track now. Oh yeh I'm supposed to be quitting smoking. I'm on the vape which helps and I have managed to cut down on my proper smokes. My friend and I are going to support each other through giving up. She can't give up if I don't and vica versa. One step at a time but it's defo time to knock it on the head.
A few piccies.
This was him when he was 23 years old. Got the pic from a photocopy of his old merchant Seaman's card.
and then a later one.
RIP
(:-})
) your time away has certainly been well spent helping a good friend. 
