Nobody in my office remembers Bellamy.
I suddenly feel very old.
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I have a photo of his cock if you think it’ll help?
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I think I found your pic
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I’ll sellotape it over my own cock, see if anyone notices anything different.
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A tremendously sad day, sudden shock loss (only 69) does that to a family now riddled with grief & guilt.
Wladislaw Podolski - Pops had his funeral in the village church.
His wife & kids visited the funeral parlour to say their final goodbyes, then to the Church where Rosaries were said for 30 minutes. I entered after about 20 and sat behind the ladies who were on the left, with the sons on the right.
The service felt like the normal Masses I have attended, with a list of apologies read out from family who could not attend. There was comfort in the traditions but it was much less personal than that of my Mother in a URC Church.
The flowers adorned the coffin, huge beautiful and heavy wreaths on stands of Pine branches.
As the service ended I was asked to carry one out with others.
He was placed in a normal grey Vito Van - no grand Hearses here, a procession formed with banners, incense and chanting as we walked about 900m behind the Van to the graveyard.
The Ladies doing their best to stand strong.
There must have been close to 2 or 300 people in that tiny church. The procession was over 100m long. Amazing sight and oh so cold.
At the Cemetary we carried the Wreaths again to the Grave, words were said, the pain was too much to bear.
Luckily someone noticed and took the wreath so I could help two of the Ladies stay standing.
Utterly heartwrending.
4 hours after leaving home, close family (about 50) went to a local wedding style hotel for Chicken Soup, Chicken Kiev, Kotlet and Apple Pie.
Many had travelled over 500kms at short notice.
It was a cold, harsh service, the sliding of the marble headstone to the tomb/grave somehow brutal and the instant sealing while all watched just so final.
A service of process and protocol to me, maybe comforting words were said, but for the first time my lack of linguistic skills really hurt.
The girls are all together tonight, I’ve caught some TV and now am going to work.
I’ve never felt an outsider before, I believe I timed every hug or shoulder squeeze to perfection though.
What a dreadfully dreadfully sad day
RIP Pops.
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The day shift got up for work at 05:20 -06:00 this morning,
When one of the room boys went around cleaning the cabins found one of the contractors in still in bed so he tried to wake him and could not. Called the medic and found he was non responsive.
We now have to get a medical team and the local police offshore in a helicopter, in the meantime the cabin has been sealed in case of foul play (not expected) but its a real shitter when somebody you were interacting with 8 -9 hours before doesnt wake up.
Not a happy crew offshore at the moment.
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Horrible, Phil.
Of all the dangers (I imagine) of working off-shore, you surely don’t expect to die in your sleep.
Hope it also wasn’t self-inflected.
At the moment we have no idea but he had all his medical certificates.
We are waiting for the Autopsy and the police report.
Not a nice day to be here that’s for sure.
Fwiw, I was with my mother when she died, but not when dad died. I was in bits when I heard he’d died, too many unanswered questions, no control. With mum, it was easier, coz I was with her for many months.
I think it is the shock that triggers uncontrollable grief. No advice to really help, but your wife may understand that her grief may come from the fact she maybe wasn’t on hand, but she couldn’t have been. You can’t go chasing people around in anticipation of them dying!
Best wishes, it took me best part of a year to more weep for my dad. Thought I should and could have saved him. Xx
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“You cant go chasing people around in anticipation of them dying!”
What’s the alternative? Let them get away and alert the authorities?
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I’m saying you value the time with somebody who you know is dying. If the death is unexpected you might regret the times you didnt spend with them. Therefore, cherish those you love.
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If Only are two words that can destroy a person.
We already had the at least I have been home since January and spent time with him discussion. Luckily in a different context I was trained on the grieving stages for work so we take baby steps.
Good joke bad timing @Goatboy 
no offence taken, I needed to dump that all out yesterday. Sorry everyone was best way I could manage it all as was working and pickles couldn’t be gargantuaned
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I once witnessed an attempted murder.
But the crow got bored and flew away.
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RIP another of the Golden Age.
Martin Peters
He was due to pop it in 2029.
Ouch!
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Ouch indeed. Loved the Bonzos, still listen to them occasionally. I was fortunate enough to see Innes in a little known ‘supergroup’ called Grimms, in the very early 70s, possibly 1971 at a small venue in Canterbury, maybe the art college. Grimms were a merger between Innes and Viv Stanshall, The Scaffold, Mike Mcgear, John Gorman and Roger McGough, and Andy Roberts from The Liverpool Scene and Plainsong, a great guitarist. A mixture of poetry and music, truly anarchic. They only did a handful of gigs with this original lineup, then they added quite a few more names, Zoot Money, Jon Hiseman, Michael Giles from King Crimson among them. I can remember never having seen anything quite like it before, a bit rough around the edges and lots of improvisation, but everybody was stoned so that didn’t matter. Wonderfully entertaining. RIP Neil Innes.
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I think he performed that same song on Rutland Weekend Television, with the immortal introduction:
Here’s another of his creations, the unforgivable Stoop Solo
RIP Neil
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Wonderful stuff.
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