The Triple Eight Tour | Part 5 - Essex

Yes, I did say the last blog post would be final one from the summer trip, but tidying up some files on the laptop this morning reminded me that I have quite a few photos from that leg of the trip.

The main reason for the long stop in Essex was a family wedding and we used most of the time to catch up on a few jobs - me editing some videos and writing blogs, and Trev giving Patsy’s exterior some TLC. It was pretty hot too, particularly in that first week but later on we did get back on the sightseeing trail. I’m not going to do my usual rambling look back at our exploits but I would like to share some of the photo’s with you, hopefully to give you a bit of inspiration should you find yourselves in this neck of the woods.

First was Bourne Mill, a National Trust property near Colchester:

Then Wivenhoe:

The next day saw us first in the pretty village of Dedham:

Then it was the turn of Flatford, also under the stewardship of the National Trust:

Sadly it is impossible to recreate the scene in Constable’s famous painting due to tree growth and water height. This was from roughly the same place though:

Tuesday saw us in Colchester, following a Murder Mystery Treasure Trail:

That evening, after a superb meal at the Layer Fox we went to check out the Abberton Reservoir, looking lovely as the sun went down. I wish I’d had the DSLR with me:

And that was our last evening together.

Cheers and until next time,

Rich

A catch up and looking ahead

Hi everyone, I thought I should do one last blog post bringing to and end my series of blogs on our summer getaway - The Triple Eight Tour - which ended so tragically.

Firstly, the funeral. A huge thank you to those that came to Cambridge last week. I meant so much to me to see so many there. I know that so many of you travelled considerable distances to come and pay their respects. It was heartening to see friends from all different parts of our life together, be it the early days in the shop, his time as a cabbie, our time on the south coast, and most recently our time as caravanners. Trev would have been well pleased to have such an audience and the service was as I had hoped and planned. I thought Vanessa - the Celebrant - was superb and told our story brilliantly as well as conducting a lovely warm service.

Thanks again to those that came to the wake. I’m sorry for not getting around to speak to everyone but just seeing you there was very heart-warming. I may have underestimated numbers slightly but I hope everyone had at least something to eat.

So, Tuesday not as hungover as you might perhaps think, was spent packing up the van - sorting out what was going home, staying, or going in the storage box. I probably repacked the car about three times. This is something Trev generally did, normally while I was on the laptop doing a blog or something. I had all day and it took me all day, finishing with a good hoover and dust.

That night I met with Pauline and our undertaker friend David for a meal and afterwards he presented me with Trev’s ashes. So I was able to spend at least one more night in Patsy with him and that meant a lot.

The M25 did it’s best to make the tow home as miserable as possible. Frequent periods of just sitting allowed my mind to wander from the task in hand to times past and at times it was very tough, but we eventually got back to the south coast unscathed and Patsy was soon back safely in her bay at the storage yard enjoying what is generally her longest rest of the year.

There’s no way around it - it was horrible going back to the flat on my own - although the number of sympathy cards lying on the doormat cheered me up and had a good read of them all over a cuppa before getting down to the task of unpacking and starting the washing.

I kept pottering, doing little bits throughout the afternoon and evening but the expected tidal wave of emotion arrived at night. I know many of you will have experienced something similar and there really is nothing to do but ride it out. There will be more I know but the last couple of days have been easier.

And that’s where I’m going to draw a line under the events of the summer. I’m am pondering the occasional blog about adapting to be life as a single person, or indeed Widow but that will be on my other blog A Load of Nonsense. If I do decide to start typing I’ll put it out on all the usual platforms.

So, looking ahead as we must. One question I’ve been asked several times is “ Will you keep caravanning?”. That answer to that one is easy. Yes! My next trip is in October and for the second half of that I will be returning to Crystal Palace - for the last time, before it closes in December. We booked this months ago and wanted to pay one final visit and it holds many happy memories not least because it was the destination for our first ever trip back in March 2012.

I have cancelled plans we had to meet with friends in Devon for Christmas and will instead be staying in Colchester near my cousin Andy for at least a few days over Christmas and probably in East Anglia for the remainder.

Simple mathematics means that I won’t be able to go away as much and I might look to more cheaper CL type sites which also has me pondering solar panels and gas usage. I’ll probably see how next year goes though before making any decisions about what will be sizable investments.

Patsy is definitely staying. I’ve no need or reason to downsize and have found in the last three weeks that I’m quite capable of taking up a lot of space on my own! Rosie, despite her advancing years and ever increasing mileage performed superbly throughout the summer and I hope she will last a lot longer. She really is a superb tow car.

Right, enough, almost. I must once again give thanks for the truly awesome support you’ve all given me on what has undoubtedly been the worst time of my life. Your encouragement and kind words about Trev  really did make all the difference and I’m so lucky to have so may people that I can genuinely call friends.

Thanks again and until next time,

Cheers

Rich

Update & Funeral Arrangements

Hi everyone, this may seem a slightly odd way of imparting such information but it’s the easiest way to reach the largest number of people.

Firstly, the post mortem. I’ve heard today (Tuesday) from the Coroner and they have determined the cause of Trev’s sudden death. It’s essentially as we thought but I’ll give you the medical terms and describe them as they were to me. Please feel free to skip the next bit if you wish:

Firstly, Ischemic Heart Disease - thickening of the walls of the heart, a natural consequence of getting older.

Secondly, Coronary Artery Atheroma - a plaque like substance restricting the flow of blood to major organs such as the lungs. Again, age related.

Two important things were mentioned by the Coroner - his death would have been very quick and he would have known little about it - and there was nothing more that could have been done to save him. Having seen what happened on the day those were already my thoughts.

Right, the funeral.

The service will be in Cambridge at the City Crematorium on Monday 20th August at Midday. All are of course welcome although I realise it’s a long journey for many. Please don’t feel guilty for not coming. For those that do, there is no dress code. Trev was happy as Larry in shorts and a t-shirt and if that’s what you’d like to wear that’s fine by me. Equally, if you would prefer something more formal, that’s fine too.

There will be a get together afterwards but that’s not finalised yet.

Family flowers only please but donations to Papworth Hospital Charitable Trust would be welcome. Again, no obligation but I know many of you have already. Thank you.

The service will be streamed online and available for seven days afterwards. Please email me at legsdown@outlook.com if this is of interest and I’ll supply access details once I have them.

In addition Trev’s (and mine) employer - Brighton College - would like to host a memorial service in their lovely chapel at some point in the future. Again, all welcome. No date yet but of course I’ll let you know.

Ok, I think that’s everything for now. I’ve said it before but it’s worth repeating: Thanks for all your messages of support. They really do mean so much.

Cheers & Beers

Rich

The Triple Eight Tour | Sad News

Whilst I know the majority of you reading this will have already heard the sad news, there may be some that haven’t, so here goes.

On the morning of the 1st August Trev suffered what we currently believe to be a massive heart attack. We’d just had a morning cuppa, I’d got up to go to the washroom and Trev was sitting on the edge of his bed readying to get up. He keeled over onto the aisle in between the two beds, completely unresponsive as he went down. I called 999 and managed to get him on his back to start CPR until the ambulance arrived. They were very quick and were soon joined by the air ambulance too. They worked on him for nearly an hour but to no avail.

He was pronounced dead at 0920.

Currently I am waiting on the Coroner to see if they want to do a PM and can’t move things forward until then.

When they do release his body, I will be taking him home, to Cambridge. We had many very happy years on the south coast but Trev was born and brought up in Cambridge. We met there and he spent most of his life there. It was a city he loved very much and was extremely proud of.

I know many friends around Brighton will want to pay their respects and I am pondering a number of possibilities with that in mind and will of course be in touch when things become clearer.

It’s been a truly awful few days. I’ve felt heartache and and sense of loss I didn’t think possible - and I know many reading this know exactly what I mean. We’ve known each other over thirty years and been through some very good times. Trev was a rock when I lost my parents and I hope I was able to help him cope with the loss of a sister, brother, then his dear old Mum.

However it’s a time that’s been made more bearable thanks to my cousin and his family who live nearby and by all the wonderful messages of support I’ve received online through social media. It really has helped me through and it’s heart-warming to know that he was held in such high regard by so many.

There’s a little video to say thank you on the YouTube channel. That’s all for now.

Cheers

Rich

P.S. Thanks to Dan Trudgian for this wonderful photo of Trev. I will treasure it forever.

Trevor John Webdale -12th March 1954 - 1st August 2018