I was supposed to read the eulogy below at the funeral but I just couldn't, I definitely don't recommend you trying to either as it's pretty much impossible. I would recommend though, should you find yourself in the same sorry situation, having a stand by plan! I was very fortunate that I had a Stokesy, my best mate for many years and my brother for life. He read it out brilliantly with zero preparation and combined with his music and everyone else's input (My girls were amazing!) it was the best send off I could of hoped for given the current restrictions and covid related regulations.
Here's the eulogy:
Graham, Dad, Grandad... Grandad to many, even down his local... not just his 9 actual grandkids! And of course Great grandad as well.
Where do you start with encapsulating his life and his impact on us all?
I think by trying to sum up the things he loved.
Firstly he loved a bit of politics! He loved his protests, and he loved his freedom, he loved the Labour party. He also loved his cars.
He was shop steward and involved with the unions in his factory, always fighting for workers rights. He stood in the local elections, for Labour obviously! We went round with a bloody great tannoy on the roof of his black Ford Capri, one of his many classic cars! He went round with a tannoy again, with me in 2015, his passion for that campaign was as strong as ever and he was brutal to everyone standing against his son on election night. The Liberal candidate actually detoured outside and around rather than walk past him!! The Tory dare not even glance in his direction!
He was also very active during the miners strike, raising funds and staging protests that got national tv coverage.
He loved monkeys and frogs, he loved animals, he loved a character!
I bet pretty much everyone in this room has bought him a frog or monkey souvineer from somewhere in the world, I know I have! He wrote 'Great uncle salamander', his book. It was based around a group of amphibians struggling with the implications of human progress on the natural world. It was tongue in cheek and funny in places, filled with his humour and his insights into environmental issues that we all now take for granted. It was written nearly 40 years ago though! Hence the frogs... everywhere in his house! I'd always send Cade and Baby off to count them so I could have a chat to him in peace and they never once came back with the same number.
The Monkey thing came about as he loved the the tv show, Monkey world. Me and my kids would go round and cook him a Sunday roast and the poor kids were subjected to hour after hour of monkey world! Ness took him up see them for a day out and he knew every monkey, its history and its mannerisms. He hated a fuss or to be taken out but this was one day out that Ness absolutely smashed, he loved it.
He had a pet shop in the 70's and once thought his Boa constrictor had eaten a one year old me! He couldn't find it, or me. Luckily my mum had taken me for a stroll but there was a minor panic that I was often reminded of! We always had dogs growing up, he loved one called Ricky in particular. I think because he was a bit nuts! I remember Ricky jumping out of the passenger window of the car one day. Doesn't sound too dramatic but we were doing about 30! He also ate the door of the downstairs toilet once when he got locked in there for bad behaviour! He was a character, Dad loved a character.
He loved The mighty Villa
He was a regular during this time up at Villa park, supporting the mighty villa! His favourite player was Brian Little and he always reminded me of the time he went up in 1976 and stood in the Holte end to watch us put 5 past Liverpool, in the first half! Liverpool were the best team in Europe at the time! His love for the Villa never died despite the highs of the 70's and early 80's never quite being repeated. His lack of mobility led to cutting down his trips up to Villa park and the last game he attended was with me, at Villa park vs Ajax. We were seated about 20 yards from the Ajax support, thousands of them... if you think that would stop him and keep him quiet then well... you didn't know Graham!
He loved pubs, he loved a drink, he loved a joke, he loved socialising, he loved to dance.
He always had a 'local', and everyone knew where to find him if the pubs were open! There was the Lion and the Rum hole in Harlech. The Woodlands and the Royal exchange in Leamington. The Malt Shovel in Bishops, too many to name them all. The various pubs me and Ness have ran over the years. He loved a pint, he loved the banter and the friendships. He loved being made welcome and he loved helping his mates out if they needed it or relying on them if he needed it. He loved to hold court and tell jokes, usually pretty bad ones! When he lived in Bethesda his local was the Bull. He got into a very nasty car crash and broke his pelvis in 3 places, ruining his mobility for ever more. This was all pre social media days though and as the gossip spread about his crash there was a kind of Chinese whispers effect resulting in the rumour going around the Bull was that he'd broken his penis in 3 places! He absolutely loved that rumour and never even tried to correct it!!
He loved the 60's music scene, and he loved to take my mum for a jive when they were courting, his dancing was pretty unique and if he was ever on the dance floor you needed to stand well clear!
He loved a pint, real ale if it was well kept! He'd soon let you know if it wasn't! He loved a red wine, a port and brandy, the occasional newcy brown! He loved a whisky but we kept him away from that because he also loved an argument!
He loved working, and working hard gave him a great sense of pride. He loved his poetry. He loved to travel.
He'd sometimes have to walk the 7 miles to and from work when he was at AP, up at 5:45 every morning, do a full day and walk back. They had a blackboard for him at work so he would write a poem on to cheer everyone up, he wrote one most days, he'd then scrub it off and write a new one, he'd often remind me that he'd deleted more poems than he ever saved! He worked hard to play hard. He loved saving if he had a goal, such as Vanesssas' wedding or his world trip. He travelled the world and loved every second, particularly the time he got to spend with his brother in Australia and his girlfriend Liz in Canada.
He loved a bit of DIY.
He loved his family. He loved his friends. We made him proud.
He Loved his mum, my gran, he cared for her in her later years. We all loved her to be fair, she was a great woman. He spent the last few years of his life doting on her and caring and cleaning for her and he moved into her flat when she passed. He loved his Dad but found it difficult to establish a relationship with him. He loved his wife, Carol, courting her throughout the swinging 60's. He loved his cousins Anthony and Peter. He loved Cess from Wales, his friend Jane Worsdale, Eli from Bethesda and his last big love Liz from Leamington (and Canada!) There was no point in his life that I saw him prouder than when he walked Vanessa down the aisle. He loved that she was happy and he loved Gordon for helping to make her happy. He loved worrying about every single one of us. He even loved my ex wives! He'd always want to know the ins and outs of everyones progress and relished in every little success we had; be it sporting, academic, political or work related. He was immensely proud of everyone in this room and that brings us to the most important thing he loved. He loved you all.
RIP Dad.
