Fill Your Paper With The Breathings Of Your Heart...

A hat box with red roses on, is beige and pink in colour; somehow it just seems to match and go together ~ bit like me really I guess...


The box itself makes me think of my Mum and how much she'd love the chance to use this; and of course the beautiful hat which surely was inside at some point, now of course it is just a box...


But that isn't strictly true, is has become something more than just a "empty box." It has been filled with all manner of things; each has its own story to it, each a reminder of a past I shall never forget.


There is a thimble that leads me to my Aunt in New Zealand, Sandra. She loves collecting them, and has loads. Her son is getting married next year; (2011) gosh how we would all like to be there to see that. I am sure my folks will manage to go, as to me? Well, who knows!


There are, of course the obvious pictures of faces from my past (and my present) and the newspaper clippings I just cannot part with, things that remind me of happier times; and some sad ones too... still now, it hurts to see the clippings about his funeral; losing Mr. Northampton has scared me deeply.


There are train tickets from those lovely days spent in London with that guy who shall remain nameless; which is a rather long name by the way! Now all I need to go with said train tickets are those tickets for them shows he kept promising me we'd go see!


There's a little stick on furry penguin, a reminder of those Raflatac stickers my folks used to use at their previous company; a penguin was the logo... made a great talking point. Especially when I was able to use them on that little enterprise I had going on, what was it called now? Oh yeah; SMART Merchandise... Gosh how daft? But the idea was good, paper/stationary packs and smelly packs... 


A gift box; well, basket of toiletries ~ all wrapped and presented with a Raflatac sticker on the top. And the paper packs were cool, even if I do say so myself... but they were nothing compared to the paperweights! Now they WERE class!! I must get round to doing some more of them!!!


The fan that reminds me of my travels to Spain, certainly a much more carefree time. The black sand a reminder of the time in one of the Islands, the pebble from a beach somewhere in Portugal; the small tile from my time in Italy... gosh, so many memories, I just could not fit them all in!


There is that Danish flag, to remind me of what I lost and my time in wonderful Denmark, an old badge in silver from St. John Ambulance; when we still had the zoo on there!! Dang, I even had that silly mic cover from the council chamber in here; best not tell Paul about that one!


Of course my little Knight makes it into my box, how could he not? Maybe it is purely the St. John thing, or maybe it is that I wish I had a Knight in shining armour; but he has to be there! 


And the last thing to go in there will be a bit of string with a noose on the end of it... Of course I know what it means, and what it could tell anyone that looks at the contents on my "Keep Sake Box." But I need to keep it in here, I need to have that reminder; so I will never forget nearly losing everything... 


After all; until we know where we've been how can we know where we are going?

No More Santa?

Waking up this morning to that text message (thank you to whomever sent it...) was not exactly the best start to the morning.

There are a million and one things I would like to say, I'd tell everyone what a total gent you were. Or how you always could make me blush whenever you told anyone that would listen how nice I was!

I'd tell them how you could always be counted upon, and how you had so many stories to tell. I will never forget the one about the snake bite and the first aider... only glad that wasn't me!

What will the town do for a Santa now? M&S will be lost without you, so will the Cobblers! Every match will be empty now, no cheerful greeting at the top of the stairs for me to look forward to.

What will Thomas do for his Fat Controller now? I would have loved to take my little God daughter to see you, she would have had a blast... you too I am sure.

If I had one last chance to say goodbye, I'd make it last forever. If I had the chance to see you at the top of the stairs at the Cobblers, I'd hug you forever. I would make ever second count, knowing that those moments would have to last me forever.

I am glad I got to give you your birthday card and gift, I am thankful I got to speak to you before you left us.

With regret, the proudest day of my life will never be the same again; purely because you will not be there to celebrate with me. On Wed 24th of this month I shall be in St. Peter's Church to receive my long service medal with St. John, it will be the day I have looked forward to since I first joined St. John. My heart will be breaking as I am presented with it, I know you will be looking down on me with pride; but it still won't change the fact I wish you were there with me.

Thank you for always being there, for being the perfect gent and for being my Knight in shining armour. My town has just lost one of its legends...

A Sad Farewell to a True Legend....

As I heard the news my heart broke, I know it sounds daft; especially seeing as we hardly knew each other… but you were, are a legend to this club and indeed town.

They called you “Flash” because you were quick on the wing, thank goodness your were; as you quickly winged your way into our hearts!

How I took great delight in telling my friend who you were at that old boy reunion, he was meant to know it all too! You never forgot me, always had a smile for me and genuinely seemed to like the fact I was a fan… like I could have been anything else!!

I still cherish the book you signed; it holds pride of place in my book case & always will. Oh and the times I’ve shouted at our present day ‘wingers’ to “get a move on!” or how I wished they had been like you!!! You would have sorted some of them opposition full backs out, I’m sure.

I wish you were still here, I wish I had the chance to say hello one last time; one last time to ask how you were or to see you smiling towards me.

I wish I could say thank you one last time for all you did for the club, you are one of an elite few who will always have a special place in not only the club but also Northampton as a town.

So, from this very humble and very grateful St. John lady to the legendry Tommy “Flash” Fowler; thank you. For all that you were, for all that you did for the club… but more importantly thank you; for being my friend.

You will NEVER be forgotten!