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Things that cheer you up


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Was driving to The Food Warehouse yesterday to pick up loads of Pepsi max, when the indicator went. The retail park has a Halfords there and you can see Old Trafford football ground from there. It’s wonderful to see it and I’m genuinely fond of the place (It’s featured in my next Flight Sim Football Grounds, DMC fans!!)

Anyway, I go in Halfords to book in and the guy says to pull into a bay and they can sort it right away. A young lad comes over and starts replacing the bulb, he says “Don’t worry I haven’t been doing my nails” and looks down to his paint covered fingers. I say “No judgement here” and we have some bantz. 
 

The paint was red and despite his broad Mancunian accent, I chance my arm and ask if he’s a United fan. Surprisingly he was, so I say he can tell his mates that he’s meeting after work in the pub he was practicing new make up for match days. He laughs and said his mates will still rip him, then asks me to turn the car on and see if it’s fixed. And it is, took him about 5 minutes. 
 

He then sticks his head through the open door, pats me on the shoulder and says “Don’t worry pal, you’re good to go, no need to come in, you’re sound”. So I got it done for free!

I was thinking of writing an email or something to them to thank him and how nice he is, but then I realised I’d be grassing him up and get him sacked. So I didn’t. 

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Okay, this might be a bit of a ramble but I’ll hopefully get there in the end.

The husband of a near life-long friend of mine was diagnosed with MND just over 18 months ago. As you can imagine, it’s completely devastated and destroyed their day-to-day lives. Shortly after his diagnosis, Fraser (Frae) started a campaign to raise awareness via his incredible artwork but also to raise money for the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association (IMNDA), which he, his friends and family have done and then some.

I last saw Frae in May, at which point he was in his bed and just about able to communicate with his own voice. It was tough to talk with him but he managed to get a few words out - laid up in his bed - and despite being utterly trapped in his body, he told me how happy he was that I’d met my girlfriend. Told me ‘it’s about time and you deserve it’, in the weakest possible voice. I wished him farewell and absolutely lost it outside.

Since then, they sourced some EyeGaze technology which - despite Frae being locked in a bed and a body - allowed him to use his eyes to design and set up a clothing and art brand. The man cannot physically move and he’s done this, with proceeds going to the IMNDA. 

So, the point of this post? Frae wanted to reward his close friends who have been invaluable in keeping the family going. They have 24-hour support and are burning through cash to provide it like you wouldn’t believe. But they have some friends and family who’ve kept them going through this ordeal. They have a little girl who is trying to comprehend what’s happening to her Dad and what will be next.

Frae wanted to thank a particular group of friends who have kept them going. The days when they think he’ll take his last breath, they’ll ring these friends and they’ll immediately drop everything to go round, do what they can and take their daughter away from the potential end.

These friends are Liverpool fans and Frae wanted to box them off with a ticket to the match. He wanted to say thank you to them before he passes. They only wanted to watch the match. Phone calls and emails happened and because of Frae’s story, the club arranged for these friends - the ones who’ve kept his family going throughout this cruelty - to go to the match on New Year’s Day. But with a full stadium tour, big meal and the best seats in the house. The live video of their mate and his kids having the time of their lives, thanks to a dying man, will stay with me forever.

Today, though, Frae’s wife sent me a message showing that Jurgen Klopp had written him a very personal letter.

IMG_1903.thumb.jpeg.9e1cb0182007feac2893c89c2d218627.jpeg

I’ve blurred it because the internet is a weirdo, but this has genuinely made him, his wife and child feel a million dollars as they prepare for his passing.

In the last few days, Frae has lost his core strength so is now 100% lying in a bed. He’s not left his house in 7 months and is able to breathe and swallow, but nothing else. He can’t talk or hold his daughter.

I don’t think for one second anyone on here would be tribalistic about this, but Liverpool FC have helped a man who cannot move provide a dream day for their friends and their manager has gone out of his way to write a personal - and bloody emotional - letter that has probably given that family the boost they needed.

It made me smile, more than I have done in years.

Edited by Frankie Crisp
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  • 2 weeks later...

Parking is at a right premium in Chorlton and it’s soon to get worse as the pay and display soon will be no more, it’s getting redeveloped with the shopping square into “Luxury Affordable” flats. 
 

Anyway, there’s a bay along the main drag for disabled drivers but there’s a lot of piss taking by selfish drivers. Drove past today and a traffic warden was issuing a ticket to someone parked there. To make it even better, the car in question was a Porsche so hopefully it was Loki. 

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On 1/24/2024 at 1:15 PM, Tim Healys Chutney Spoon said:

Just a small update, now onto 48 prizes including a flight sim experience in an F-4 Phantom and the offer of our Squadron being able to visit and be hosted by them in the future to try all their other Simulators out, including their F-3 Tornado that's currently being converted to sim ability.

 

Some of the stuff the small local business/individuals donated:

Around £90 of jewellery,

Pair of designer sunglasses

£100 worth of booze

Loads of vouchers worth £75 upwards

Free car service&MoT 

 

Pisses me off a bit when you get the following offered by huge companies in comparison:

Specsavers - 25% off voucher!

Co-op - box of chocolates!

 

But hey ho, all the money raised will go to a good cause! Especially as a BGT winner has offered to put on a show for us for next to nothing and all proceeds will go to the Squadron too. Should nearly double the Squadron funds this year! 

Sorry to be 'that guy' but we're now just under 70 prizes donated and 40 in hand with a value of around £4000! Just hope we can raise a decent amount and sell a good number of tickets. 

Some of the new prizes donated :

Another flight sim experience 

Round of golf for 4

Karting voucher

Shooting lesson with an Olympic medallist 

Signed MOTD Script by the usual presenters

Donation from the Red Arrows

2 BGT winners donating prizes 

 

 

 

Edited by Tim Healys Chutney Spoon
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