A letter to Chris TVV
A letter to Chris TVV from Barry Edge.
G’day Chris,
Of all the things you have shared with onevalefan in general, and yours truly in particular, your latest news absolutely gob smacked me to such an extent that I wondered what the hell my reply to you and your family should be.
Obviously Chris I can only but share your devastating news, and even though I cannot possibly comprehend what you must being going through I stand in awe of your strength and conviction to remain resolute to the end.
You tell us you are barely alive and paralysed from the waist down, that you are too weak to get out of bed because the physiotherapists say that by trying to get in and out of a wheel chair would cause yet more damage to your spine. On top of all this you say you are medicated to the eyeballs in tablet, capsule and liquid form.
But has any of the above stopped you from getting the last good drop of whatever the Good Lord has given you? Has it heck.
I notice you have been sending messages to all your friends wishing them well and asking for understanding that Christmas and birthday cards my not be delivered by the postie in the future. I was especially pleased to be included in your messages.
Our friendship Chris is the direct result of all things Port Vale and www.onevalefan.co.uk and goes back to the days when Rob Fielding was out Bristol way. During that time you have shared generously of yourself with other members of onevalefan – with some your antidotes and stories now archived for future readership.
Back in 2002 we had several Stokies participating in debates, enjoying the banter, and even pee taking without malice. Then, for reasons never disclosed some of our Stokie friends simply stopped posting. Remember Britanniasson? One minute he was all over the Forums then, without a bye your leave, he simply disappeared into cyber space.
Two of your stories came from following the ‘Lads when we were away to Crewe. The first one featured Scarth and Sage wandering into a shop down the Nantwich Road that sold less than conventional goods and services. It was simply to good to pass – so to speak – and Pubs, Porn and Plastic Willies made the archives.
The other story was told to you whilst on the bus to Crewe and this gave rise to a poem called Her Darkest Hour featuring Dawn the speculative gambler.
Then there was the time you were bemoaning your bad luck in not getting a leave pass to see the ‘Lads play away at Barnsley, so you asked for suggestions from onevalers’ to overcome this hurdle. Lodge Gate came to the rescue and we penned Emotional Bank Account for your future reference.
One day you startled us by saying your lovely wife Val used to work at Stoke City on match days which gave us the opportunity to reveal Val’s story with, I might add, Val’s approval.
Of all the stories you related to onevalefan none reached the heart wrenching heights as that of the reunion between you and Leila and Pamela and you left us in doubt that you were the happiest man in the world.