We had visited Shelley's Dad Mick at St Mary's Hospice on the morning so we decided to go for a pint and some Sunday lunch before returning to see him later that afternoon.
The drink selection was surprisingly pleasing with a couple of real ales on offer, and, although we were in the midst of the Hurricane Bertha backlash, I still chose the wholly inappropriate Banks's Sunbeam, served in a glass with a quote from Homer Simpson etched into it 'Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy ' !!
The BSE scare of a few years ago seemed like a distant forgotten memory as we all ordered roast beef for our Sunday lunch, however the meals were sent back to the kitchen with short, sharp shrift due to the fact that they were lukewarm. Our general review of the meals, when they returned at a proper temperature, was that there wasn't enough food. Homer Simpson would undoubtedly have agreed !!
Jan loved where we sat as our seats gave us a great view of the comings and goings in the pub and the pub car park. We were able to witness a very badly dressed Christening party. Black shirts and white ties?!! Come on !!
We were also subjected to a badly behaved child called Jackson who we all agreed (apologies to all modern thinkers on infant discipline) needed a slap !!
We bumped into Jan's sister Barb. on our way out of the pub, and gave her a progress report on Mick before making our way back to the hospice.
FOOTNOTE 10th August
This is very, very difficult to write, but the date 10th August is one that will be forever etched in our memories.
We returned to the hospice to find Shelley's Dad Mick in great form, he was shaved and showered, and was sat up in bed watching the cycling and reading the paper. He was full of wise cracks, and we were having great banter, he revelled in telling me how bad Birmingham City are following their defeat the previous day. He was brilliant company.
Unfortunately he had difficulty breathing a couple of hours later and passed away peacefully with his loving family around him later on that night.
Life just won't be the same without him. I contemplated stopping this blog as I'm feeling so sad as a result of his passing. However Mick was a man who loved nothing more than having a pint and the 'craic'. Infact when I told him, when I popped in to see him on the Thursday, that I'd visited 182 different pubs so far this year a huge grin lit up his face. He avidly followed the blog when we travelled so definitely wouldn't have wanted me to stop so I will carry on with the memory of sharing a pint with him always in my mind.
As you would imagine I shared many pints with Mick in the six years I was privileged to know him, infact I remember us sharing a memorable Sunday afternoon session in The Red Lion the first time we formally met. His company on the beer was that good that I booked half a day's annual leave at the end of last year just so the two of us could have a proper drink together and boy did we drink that day !!
Always generous, he would be the first up the bar to get a round in and, even though he needed to use his stick to get to the bar he would stubbornly refuse any help when it was his round.
He was a loving husband of over 50 years to devoted wife Jan and was immensely proud of his family and I know for a fact that they were equally proud to call him Dad.
God bless ya Mick, we are all really going to miss you.
Mick Kearney 31st October 1940 - 10th August 2014
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