Ivan

It is with a heavy heart that I have to report that one of my friends died a few days ago.

His name is Ivan McNally.
He leaves behind a widow and two lovely little girls.

I got the call from Francesca, his wife, on Friday just gone. He lost his fight at 04:30 and his family where with him at the end.

He was diagnosed with a brain tumour which was eventualy removed on his insistence. The thing was the size of my fist and in the left hemisphere.
Just as things where looking good for a recovery another one came along, this time in the right hemisphere. Things went down hill from there.

When he first told me of his condition it was after a long time of us not being in touch, I was so pleased to be back in touch with an old school friend and fellow cadet (he was a Marine cadet and I was a Sea cadet) but it was short lived as the news of his illness and mothers sudden death saddened me more than I can say.
One thing I did say to him was to start a blog and tell the world about himself and his struggle, in other words don't leave it to anyone else, that way the facts will be correct and I'm a lazy SOB who didn't want to do it.
He started his blog and the entries he posted are in fits and starts thanks in part to his treatment, his general condition and weather or not he could be arsed to do them, pretty much like myself on the last point.
I urge you dear reader to visit his blog and get a glimpse of the man we will all miss.

He was with me in the science museum in London last year when I sparked one of the biggest terror alerts of the year. That is recorded in my blog (it's in two parts) and is well worth a read as it shows a couple of pics of the daughters he leaves behind. Read also the visit to the Imperial war museum where you will see some pics of Ivan displaying his rapier like wit.

He was a great many things in his life, son, friend, jocular conspirator, policeman, father and husband. Our thoughts must now be for his widow Francesca and his two girls.

If he can hear me then one last piece of advice can I give him...

"...second star to the right and on till morning."






Do you feel lucky punk?

Be afraid, be VERY afraid...

Thanks to numerous people and one in particular, I have just ordered my provisional driving licence on line and it should be here in ten days time.

My advice...

Find somewhere very very safe to hide when I do my lessons

laters

Has your heart grown fonder?

It's been a long while since I last posted, but there's a very good reason, honestly.

It seems like I've lived more in the last few months than I have in the last few years. I have T, B and J to thank for this.
We've been places and done stuff, sometimes with the lads and sometimes without them (when we go without them then the hard working grandma and grandpa take over).
I've taken hundreds of pictures and hours of video, it's all got too much to make a witty and interesting blog entry/entries.

So I'm gonna cheat.

I uploaded all the pics and video that doesn't have the lads in to Photobucket so here are the links to some pics that are some of the reason I've been absent.

But before I go any further can I just say that the lads football (soccer) team premièred their new strip on Saturday (bright orange with white trimming) and beat all the other teams, about 40 of them we think.
Also J got "scouted" for another real football team. He first got scouted for Tranmere Rovers and now trains with their youth side but this Saturday gone, he got "scouted" by Blackburn. True they're not Liverpool FC or Manchester united but then again he is only 9.

Anyhoo, this is just some of what we've been up to....

Liverpool museum.

Birkenhead tram museum.

The Lake District (well a bit of it anyway).

There was a whole heap of other stuff we did but we have to have some secrets don't we.

Hope to blog you all soon.

l8rs