Cousin Eddie RIP.

[jukel123 9,644]

My cousin Eddie's funeral is on Friday. He was the same age as me.

He had a tough life and was on the wrong side of the prison gate a few times for thieving and other silly things, but a true friend , and a devoted, gentle family man

He was a big union man,hated  the tories and was on strike for long periods, but provided for his family one way or another

We got into a lot of  hilarious scrapes together as kids. We both had a passion for fishing, animals, football and boxing. We attended Old Trafford religiously as kids, but when they caged us in like animals we stopped going . Then came Hillsborough,  so we were right. As the club became more of a global brand we still maintained an interest but felt somehow betrayed.

He was a pro boxer for a while, his daughter is passing on his boxing memorabilia and the mentions he got in boxing magazines to me.

He had colon cancer at one point and went down to 9 stone. But he recovered .He then got kidney cancer and was on dialysis. When his wife died he refused any more treatment because he just wanted to be with his wife.

Proper old fashioned, heroic working class man.

We' ll give him a good send off.

 

 

 

[WILF 50,920]

A life well lived, very sorry for your loss mate.

[mC HULL 16,318]

Rip 

 

[mackem 29,899]

RIP Eddie.

[oxo 566]

Another one of the old breed gone, commiserations. RIP Eddie 

[Daniel cain 49,343]

Sorry to hear about your loss Jukel

RIP Eddie

Edited 6 hours ago by Daniel cain

[jukel123 9,644]

I' v e just been  writing his eulogy which I will,read tomorrow at the funeral.

Some funny stories. He was  brought up by his dad as his mum had mental health problems. So my mum would often feed and  bathe him. He really had it tough because his Dad just couldn't cope and  drank a lot. One day he arrived at ours with string for shoe laces having had  nothing to eat all day. My mother was as ferocious as a banty hen, went down to the pub and told the whole pub what sort of dad Eddie's dad was. She got most of his wages off him every week  from that moment on and would make sure food , clothes and coal were bought instead of drink.

I distinctly remember one Friday night asking him if he was coming home for his tea with us. Nah, he said. It's bath night and your mam  will put us together in that black water and  rub the skin off me knees with that scrubbing brush and stinking green soap. He was right too. The air was black near the docks where we lived. Factory smoke from the biggest industrial complex in Europe, combined with coal burning house fires, meant that by the time it was our turn for the bath, the water was as a black jelly you could stand a piece of wood in.

Another time we went knocking wood for bonfire night from the gypsy encampment.. He loaded our home made bogey and were making off silently when one lad spotted us and raised a hue and cry. I was all for legging it but Eddie wouldn't have it. When the gypsies caught up , he picked up a piece of 3x2 and went to whack the biggest lad with it. Fortunately he missed and they legged it. Suddenly the hunters were the hunted and we chased them waving our weapons and screaming " Barbary Coast ya b*****ds". That was the nickname for our neck of the woods because it was such a notoriously  violent area what  with the sailors and the ethnic mix.

Usually, if we shouted "Barbary Coast" at threatening gangs of strange lads we encountered, they would back down. Except one day we encountered some scouse lads who had found their way into Manc Town centre. When we shouted our war cry at them they shouted  back "Toxteth". We went up a side alley to see who could claim top dog and they knocked f**k out us. But as Eddie  constantly maintained they were older and there's was more of them, they were soft b*****ds really. Whether that was true is open to debate.

Eddie was a risk taker. When he was a trucker he would travel to the continent and bring back a full lorry of tobacco. Usually it paid off big time but he was  caught twice and he was also carrying thieved stuff so he got eighteen months each time.

His third spell was for issuing a restraining order on  his former son in law who had taken to   visiting his ex and hitting her. Well it wasn't a legal restraining order, he smashed his legs and knuckles. The restraining order worked a treat. Much better than the legal one. He should have been given a medal not six months.

He was a gem of a man. He would literally share his last penny with you. He spoiled his kids rotten and made sure they never suffered the poverty he had suffered.

He was devoted to his parents and never blamed for his tough start in life. Shit happens was his philosophy. The single song that will be played is 'The Fields of Athenry'. His favourite. It will be tough for me to keep my composure. But if I blubber after I've said my piece f**k it. Shit happens.

Edited 4 hours ago by jukel123

[WILF 50,920]

“Micheal they have taken you away…..”

There won’t be a dry eye mate…..a lovely story there 

[Aled 588]

Condolences for your loss, and a basis for a nice Eulogy. 

[mackem 29,899]

 

[mel b 3,912]

I'm sorry for your loss juke. Your cousin Eddie sounds like a proper good Lad mate.

[fireman 11,441]

Strength to you Jukel on the day mate and  he'll help you through it as well, hope those memories your reliving bring as many smiles to your face ..

Thanks for telling us about him..

[NEWKID 29,066]

What great memories mate, Eddie sounds like the sort of bloke Id enjoy in the company of, to have a beer and yap with.. mainly listen too! Lol

Sorry for your loss Jukel, I hope the send off is the best it can be, The Fields of Anthenry! Wow..  I'd be gone after the first few lines! All the best mate.. 

RIP Eddie 

[TOMO 29,128]

Lovely stories them mate...I love hearing stuff like that...and I'm sorry for your loss mate...he sounds like a right character...

[jukel123 9,644]

4 minutes ago, TOMO said:

Lovely stories them mate...I love hearing stuff like that...and I'm sorry for your loss mate...he sounds like a right character...

You were right the first time.lol

Edited 1 hour ago by jukel123