All Over

Well there you go I havent blogged for a long time although I do have an excuse what with radio stations and all that. The last couple of blogs were about Robin Barr an old friend of mine who was diagnosed with lung cancer but unfortunately I had a lot less time to tell some tales about him before his fast and untimely demise. Less than two weeks from when he was officially told he had stage 5 lung cancer, I was looking at him in a very sorry state in the Marie Curie hopsice, and two days later he had died. The week before Sheila had been in Hospital with diverticulitus and using this spell to consider the past twenty odd years relationship wiht Robin I began to realise how many adventures we’de been on.

The next time I met Robin

Some time later I was working with a group of young people painting murals in the waiting room of Whiston Hospital A&E, a giant version of Seurat’s The Bathers, when Robin appeared looking very strange, in fact he looked like he was mad. The guy with him was a fellow taxi driver who had found Robin in this state and decided the only thing to do was to take him to the hospital. Robin had had some sort of breakdown and was sectioned and I didnt see him for a while. He stopped working Centre 70 and it wasnt until some time later that our paths crossed.

More about Robin

As mentioned in the previous blog my mate Robun has been told he hasnt got very long to live, due to having lung cancer and various secondary tumours.
I went round to see him on Saturday and he was propped up on a couch and wrapped ina blanket in the kitchen, Looking very frail and weak and a lot older a than his 56 years, it was quite shocking. The thing about lung cancer is it seems to rush in, grip people and kill them quickly, the complete opposite to the method of getting it, which is a long drawn out affair, cigerette after harmless cigerette. year after year, leaving people feeling “It’ll never happen to them” and “It’s too late to change”? If I were to be truthful I did have feeling that if Robin was to go, then this would be what would take his life.

I suppose I should tell yuo a little bit about Robin, who he was, what he did and didnt do, and what he will elave behind. Robin will be the second close friend I will loose this year, the first being Carl Speare, who I worked with on the KVFM Radio Projects. Carl died quickly of a massive heart attack in April, he went quickly, doing something he loved doing (racketball) planning something he loved ( community radio) and loved by everyone he came in contact with.

The background to meeting Robin originally came about when I was working in Knowsley in the Youth Service, when a colleague who was doing the part time youth leaders course told about this bloek who was on the course was winding the Youth Adviser up all the time (this was one of Robin’s talents, winding people up). I had a short meeting with Robin and decided to start a mural project in the youth club he worked in (Centre 70 Kirkby). It was fascianting to see him pull up in his Black Cab (he was a hackney driver when not youth working) and work in a very unusual and direct way with the young people. I began to get more and more interested in what was behind his methodolgy. After a couple of months he disappeared!

Not blogged on here for a while

It seems te dreaded facebook has the ability to drain your blogging ability, but I ahve decided to make a concerted effort to begin to blog again.

What I am starting with is not very pleasant really, as I found this week that a long standing mate of mine has been diagnosed with lung cancer, secondary tumours and is likely to die very shortly, His name is Robin Barr and Ive know him since my youth works days in Knowsley in the mid 80’s. Iwill write some more tomorrow.

So long Bert

Its a good job Im going bald, as I got some sad news last week.

I went up to Bert’s the Barbers for a haircut only to find the UKIP loving Barber (£2.50 a haircut!) had died.

The end of another landmark and local hero even  if was  a bit racist, sorry xenophobic

More Prezzer News

It looks like John Prezzer will be here next Tuesday 4th August between |Noon and 1pm, the plan is that we will be running a “One Off” KensingtonVision Show, durung which you can listen in on line and also call in and ask John questions about “Regeneration” and whether you think this has been a good thing for the area.

More details later on over the weekend

Possible News

The GEARS hanging basket community capacity building and sustainability event

People were so enthusiatic that they buried Patience in hanging basket, as Harry Hill would say “What are the chances of that happening”

Jacky and Eric’s Wedding Do!

Me and Sheila went to evening “Do” of Jacky Hilton and Eric. Jacky is one the people from Lime Court who did the radio training for KVFM earlier oin the year. Jacky on the face of it is a very loud and brash person but who has a lot on her plate, she could be a negative person but sho is actually full of life and vigour. She’s married a very nice man called Eric from Stoke, again they look a bit like chalk and cheese,but they are very happy and we had a great tme at the do at the Sylvestrian club (which is looking a bit shabby but not at all chic). Sheila had her big big pink bag with a her and she was deeply deeply shcoked that she had her bag searched on the way in for bottles of barcardi. “Ive never had this happen to me before we dont do this type of thing in Southport” she said in a posh and voice ladened with indignation. Of course we werent smuggling bottles in, When we walked in we looked around and didnt recognise and then realised we were in an engagement do, we had to go to the Snooker room were Jacky and the rest of the gang.
Anyhow we both wish Jack and Eric a long and happy wedded life together.

The Return of Prezza

Jogn Prescott, pugalist and ex deputy Prime Minister is coming to Kensington next month, to look at the beloved regeneration carried out in the area, afterall it was his department that kicked off New Deal, so maybe it’s his fault?

Anyhow we are setting up a “Call Prezza” Special, where you will be able to call him up and ask him or tell him what you think of the regeneration, the show will be streamed live on the internet and podcasted. More information to follow so start thinking up you questions fro Prezza. and remember he “supports full time community railway in Kensington and Fairfield” and so do we.