londonronnie: (two of us)
Goodbye to my dear friend [livejournal.com profile] moonlightmead. We knew your leaving was imminent (even though you'd been thumbing your nose at the doctors' prognosis for several months now) but when the news came this morning it still hit hard.

So many people around the world, both in Pros fandom and elsewhere, will be trying tonight to come to terms with your passing. You were such an exuberant, effervescent character and I'm sure many will agree that you were part of our lives for far too short a time.

Farewell, my friend. No more pain for you now xxx
londonronnie: (cheers!)
Here's wishing the lovely [livejournal.com profile] murphybabe a very...





Hope you're having a wonderful day!
londonronnie: (cheers!)
Here's wishing the lovely [livejournal.com profile] foreverfoxcat a very





Hope you're having a great day!
londonronnie: (h/h)
The OH and I are feeling a bit "lost off" (as they say here in Geordieland) at the moment. Last Sunday we waved goodbye to our youngest daughter, Kate, and her boyfriend, Craig, as they set off on their six-month trip exploring India and south-east Asia. It's a wonderful adventure for them, and has been well over a year in the planning. We're very excited for them, and more than a little envious, but there's no getting away from the fact that no matter how old your kids are you never stop worrying about them! And it does feel strange to think that they're so far away and won't be back for such a long time! Thank goodness for Facebook messaging, WhatsApp, texting and Skype!

My computer time has been extremely limited lately as not only have we been helping Kate prepare for her trip we've also had a friend staying with us for a few weeks. I did however make sure that I followed the discussion of 'The Secrets Beneath' in the [livejournal.com profile] ci5hq Reading Room. There has been some debate there recently as to whether it's a good idea to include fic written by folks who are still active in the fandom - my own take on the matter is that I was so, so chuffed that somebody cared enough about the story to want to nominate it for discussion in the first place (*bows to [livejournal.com profile] nypagan*)! I wasn't expecting it to be universally loved (although I was hoping that it wasn't universally loathed *g*), and I didn't have any preconceived ideas as to what opinions people might express. The most I was hoping for was that it might generate a dozen or so comments. So, it was a thrill to read all the ensuing discussion and really interesting to see just what everyone thought of the story. Many thanks then to everyone who took part, I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience (even though I was dying to add my own two-hap'orth on occasions! *g*).
londonronnie: (cheers!)
Sending [livejournal.com profile] sc_fossil a great big





Hope you're having a brilliant day and a wonderful holiday too!!
londonronnie: (cheers!)


Happy Birthday [livejournal.com profile] solosundance!!

Hope you're having a fabulous day!
londonronnie: (hold my heart)
My LJ has been filled with sadness recently, and sometimes it's difficult to remember that there are still good things happening in my life.

The best and happiest of those things is this little angel - my new granddaughter, Annie Mae, who was born on 1st June!



She's such a happy smiling little thing, and it's a joy to watch her and big sister Izzy laughing at each other.

What other good things have happened? Well, back in May I had a great weekend meeting up with fellow Pros fans at WINK. And as an added bonus we had our Sunday lunch at a Pros location, the Metropolitan Police Sports Club in Bushey, otherwise known as the cricket ground where Bodie almost got his century in Blood Sports!

Another good thing - I've just come back from two weeks holiday in Brighton. Not our usual type of holiday, I have to admit - no yomping across the countryside, or exploring the streets of London, which is our usual thing. We had an ulterior motive though, we were actually there carrying out a recce to help us decide whether we fancied renting a flat there for six months next year. We're still tossing up whether to plump for Brighton or London at the moment, but I think Brighton is winning out. We like the town very much, the rented accommodation is considerably cheaper, and we could still be up to London on the train in less than an hour. The South Downs are right on the doorstep too, and we quite fancy exploring that area. So, the next step will be to go back next year, probably in March, and hopefully view some properties with the intention of renting something from May onwards. Exciting, innit!

More travelling this coming weekend too as we're going to the Lake District for a few days to celebrate my birthday. Should be a nice relaxing time, gentle walk around the lake, good food, good drink. Fingers crossed that it's not peeing down! (What am I saying? This is the Lake District we're talking about...)

So, good things are still happening. I just have to stop and take a look around me sometimes...

A sad day

Jul. 19th, 2015 12:04 pm
londonronnie: (two of us)
We said goodbye to our Zoe/[livejournal.com profile] probodie last Tuesday.

The service was held at Barnsley Crematorium, a quiet and peaceful place in a leafy setting. It was a humanist service, and the officiant had obviously taken great pains in her preparations. She spoke about Zoe's life; her family, her interests, her career, her love for Mike... She raised a smile or two with some funny stories, and quite a few tears as well. Her words summed up Zoe's personality so well that several of us there assumed that she must have known her, but we later found out that that wasn't the case at all.

The biggest smile of all (and the most tears, in my case) came at the end, when we filed out of the chapel - to the strains of Morecambe and Wise singing 'Bring Me Sunshine'.

After the service Zoe's friends and family gathered at a small pub not very far away, where Zoe had once worked when she was younger. It was a bittersweet gathering, not all sad I have to say as so many of us have happy memories of Zoe that we were keen to share with each other. As well as family and work colleagues there were friends there representing all aspects of Zoe's many interests - friends from Pros fandom, fellow Cult TV attendees, members of Zoe's Bay City Rollers 'gang' from years gone by... Not only BCR fans, I hasten to add, but an actual Bay City Roller too! Zoe would have been gobsmacked!

I've just read through this again before I post it, and I realise that my first sentence is incorrect. We'll never say goodbye to Zoe. She'll always be with us.
londonronnie: (bitter sweet)
Yet again, thank you to so many lovely friends for posting messages in response to the news of Zoe's passing. I'm so sorry that I haven't been able to respond to everybody individually - I'm staying in a rented flat at the moment, and the owner has a security blanket set up which means that I'm only able to access LJ between 9.00pm and 5.00am! (It's rather amusing actually - when I do try to sign on outside of those times I get an immediate warning that says "PORNOGRAPHY!" *g*)

Several people have asked me about the arrangements for Zoe's funeral. The details were finalised yesterday, and I'm now able to let everybody know that the funeral will take place at Barnsley Crematorium at 13.30 on Tuesday 14th July.

All of Zoe's friends are very welcome to attend the service. Zoe's fiance, Mike, and her family would like friends attending the funeral to wear something containing Zoe's favourite colour, turquoise, and/or reflecting her taste for 1950’s fashions. However, if folks would rather dress formally that's absolutely fine too. In lieu of floral contributions her family would welcome charitable donations to The Barnsley Hospice, a local good cause.

After the service, friends are welcome to join the family for food and drink in The Pheasant at Monk Bretton, which is a local pub that Zoe once worked in.

If anybody would like directions to the Crematorium or to the gathering afterwards please contact me. I can also find out about accommodation nearby if anyone needs to stay overnight.

I can't thank everybody enough for all their support at this extremely tough time. I'm reminded once again that those of us in Pros fandom are all one big family, and I'd just like to say that I really do appreciate everyone's friendship so, so much.

Goodbye

Jul. 1st, 2015 09:03 am
londonronnie: (Bodie Icon 2)
My dear, dear friend Zoe lost her fight yesterday afternoon. She passed away at 4pm. Her fiance Mike was with her and was holding her hand as she left us.

I will miss her more than words can say - my drinking buddy, my 'partner-in-crime', my roomie on so many mad weekends away... It's difficult to believe that I won't be seeing her again.

Here's a photo, taken on one of our last jaunts before she was diagnosed with the illness - Zoe with Colin Wells at WINK in May 2014. This is how I'll always remember her...



Sleep peacefully, my lovely friend.
londonronnie: (b & d 4)
Once again, thank you all so, so much for all your thoughts and good wishes for Zoe.

The OH and I went to see her yesterday. She is still in intensive care, under heavy sedation, and remains stable at present.

It was very upsetting to see Zoe lying there, unresponsive while her nurse carried out checks on her monitoring equipment, but I was so grateful to have got the chance to see her. I nattered away to her about the good times we'd had (of which there are many!), in particular our weekend at Soho Pride a few years ago which we'd always agreed was one of our best weekends ever and which we always looked back on with much happiness. I don't know if she could hear me blathering away, I hope she could.

Two very dear friends arrived to see Zoe while we were there, [livejournal.com profile] lisaloveslewis and [livejournal.com profile] retrogirl73. I was so happy to see them. We have all been friends for many years, all brought together by Pros, and it was so good to be able to support each other at such an awful time.

After our visit we all adjourned to the pub, along with Mike. He has practically been living at the hospital for the past week, so it gave him a break for a couple of hours. He is bearing up wonderfully well, despite being obviously devastated. Needless to say we raised a glass or two of encouragement to our Zoe, and shared a few laughs as well as tears. I think it did us all good.

If kind thoughts, good wishes and love can get somebody through this then I know Zoe will pull through with flying colours. Thank you all once again.

Update...

Jun. 26th, 2015 07:51 pm
londonronnie: (bisto kids)
Many, many thanks to everyone that left messages for Zoe ([livejournal.com profile] probodie) in response to my last post. I'm so sorry that I haven't responded to everyone individually, I spent most of yesterday travelling and it's taken me until now to suss out the wifi in our rented flat (not helped by the fact that I turned the router off, having mistaken the plug for the one belonging to a table lamp. Doh!)

I've had more news from Zoe's fiance Mike this afternoon, and I'm so sorry to report that it's not good. The worst, in fact. Zoe's leukaemia has returned, more aggressively than before, and because of her weakened condition the medical team have decided that further treatment would be too much for her. The situation is that she could slip away at any time.

We are still planning to visit Zoe in the morning. I'm praying that we're not too late.
londonronnie: (Borderline)
A lot of people on my flist are also friends of my very good mate [livejournal.com profile] probodie (aka Zoe).

Just over a year ago Zoe was diagnosed with leukaemia and has been undergoing treatment since then, including a stem cell transplant. Her brother was found to be an excellent match and was able to donate for her.

Zoe has had a few ups and downs with infections etc, but has generally been doing very well but then a few weeks ago another infection landed her back in hospital and this time things haven't gone so well. Her medical team have been struggling to pin down the exact cause of her setback and in the meantime they have put her into an induced coma while they carry out more tests. She had a lumbar puncture yesterday and today she will hopefully be undergoing a MRI scan.

Please spare a thought or two for Zoe, her fiance Mike, and the rest of her family. All positive vibes will be very much appreciated! Thank you.

ETA: I'm planning on visiting Zoe in hospital on Saturday and will be happy to pass on any messages.
londonronnie: (Borderline)
A few of the folks on my flist have been bemoaning the fact that they don't post as often as they used to, mainly because they don't feel that they've got enough interesting things to post about.

That just about sums me up too, and yet I enjoy reading the everyday doings of my flist even if they haven't been getting up to anything wildly exciting, so maybe I should post more about the minutiae of my everyday life...

Today we found ourselves with some free time that we weren't expecting to have. We'd planned on visiting a friend who hasn't been very well lately, but as the OH is suffering with a bit of a chest infection we decided it wouldn't be wise to inflict his germs upon our poorly friend. And then we found out that we wouldn't be needed to pick granddaughter Izzy up from school today as she's got chickenpox and her mum had taken a day off work to stay at home with her. So, as it was a lovely sunny day, we decided to go off to the coast and have a little stroll.

Typically, it had clouded over a bit by the time we got there, and there was quite a chilly breeze blowing, but it was pleasant nevertheless and it was nice to stretch our legs a bit. So, here's a few piccies of St Mary's Island for you...





Our little outing was rounded off nicely by a couple of pints in one of our favourite pubs, so all in all it was a good day out, and all the better for being unplanned!
londonronnie: (b & d)
For [livejournal.com profile] recycledmedia -





Hope you have a wonderful day, sunshine!
londonronnie: (nice one)
And also sending [livejournal.com profile] doylebaby every good wish for a very





Hope it's been a brilliant day so far!
londonronnie: (cheers!)
Here's wishing [livejournal.com profile] heliophile_oxon a very





Hope you're having a fabby day!!
londonronnie: (literary bodie)
I reached a bit of a milestone a few months ago. After more than twelve years, and a total of 896 stories, I finally exhausted my 'wants' list with the Pros Circuit Library. Not that there weren't more stories available if I'd wanted them, there were probably another 1500 or so on the list that I hadn't read, but I'd reached the end of the stories that appealed to me. It felt like the end of an era when I sent back my last batch of stories, which I suppose wasn't surprising considering that the Circuit Library was one of my first introductions to slash and the Pros fandom in general. I felt a bit bereft, if I'm being honest!

Luckily I was able to move straight on to the Pros Big Bang - I'm currently reading the last of the BB stories, and what a treasure trove it's been! And when they're done I've got the new O Yardley zine to read!

All of which makes me realise what a huge amount of talent we have in this fandom. From participants in the Big Bang who have only been writing Pros fic for a relatively short time, to someone like O Yardley who has been entertaining us since the earliest days of the fandom. I am so pleased to be a part of it all - yay for Pros fic!!
londonronnie: (bodie b/w)
Well, actually it's extremely tenuous, but it tickled me. And it's probably the nearest either of our lads will get to having a pub named after them...

Anyone who's familiar with the Wetherspoons chain of pubs will know that they usually name their establishments after local dignitaries or places. The Wetherspoons pub in Morpeth, Northumberland, is housed in an old cinema where in the early days live acts would perform on stage between films. One of the most popular acts was the self-styled "Dr" Walford Bodie, aka 'The Electrical Wizard', and that's who the pub is named after.

No connection to 'our' Bodie, of course, but I did feel quite chuffed to sit there drinking my pint of Guinness whilst perusing all the Bodie photos etc. I'm easily pleased, I know... *g*

Walford Bodie4 Walford Bodie


Walford Bodie3 Walford Bodie2
londonronnie: (dead reckoning)
Brian Clemens - The man who in 1977 was quick to realise that this...

Andrews


... was never going to work. But then recalled this...


obsession new avengers


... from just a few months earlier, and was inspired to create this...


910493_600


... for which we are all eternally grateful.

Thank you, Mr Clemens. Rest In Peace.
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