About Ian
Mandy’s Tribute
Ian, My brother, my friend, our friend…..
Ian was a very loving giving person.
His enthusiasm for life was has infectious as his laugh.
His love of life was enormous; he NEVER let his condition faze him.
“There’s always someone worse off than me,” he’d say……
“Live for today, you could be dead tomorrow,”…..
And boy did he!
He grabbed life with both hands. He’d begin a project and immerse himself into it, everything had to be, just right!
You know the old saying,” Measure twice cut once?”, well Ian would measure once and cut three times, there was always another project to begin, 1001 things to do with MDF!
I’m pretty sure B&Q’s profits will take a dip now Ian’s no longer visiting, as I’m sure Toys R Us did once he’d passed through his toy phase, or P.C.World once he’d built a computer for everyone he knew.
The trips to B&Q that Jools used to treasure, NOT!
Jools was pretty amazed at just how much wood could fit into her lovely car, and how much mess was left behind!
Every room in their home reflects Ian’s personality, from individually designed radiator covers, to an Egyptian themed bathroom.
Handmade beds and wardrobes, movie memorabilia, his talents are everywhere.
Ian’s garden was his pride and joy. No ordinary fence paint for him, bright colours adorn his shed and decking.
The best fed fish in his self-styled pond, the best stocked bird table in Northampton.
Dougal the dog and Brian the snail resting in the shade of the recently completed Tardis.
That same Tardis whose blue paint is stuck to the kitchen sink of Jools’ brand new kitchen, her pride and joy!
A kitchen they designed and decorated together, covered in big, bright, bold tiles that perfectly reflect their happy, love filled relationship.
They laughed together, they cried together, and of course they had their moments, as we all did with Ian, because once he got a bee in his bonnet, you heard about it over and over and over and over and over again!!!!!
I’d often offer him a ladder to climb down from his soapbox.
If Ian discovered something new, he wanted EVERYONE to share in it.
He’d do anything he could to help you, in fact you wouldn’t mention you needed anything he had because, he’d insist on giving it to you.
He did what he wanted and didn’t care if people laughed at him.
He thought nothing of dressing up as a Cylon and walking through Manchester with friends, or wrapping “police crime scene” tape around Tim and Kirsty’s garden gate, then phoning them to find out “What’s Happened?”!
When Ian and Jools married at Gretna Green, Ian, Vince and John wore dark blue suits and sunglasses, reminiscent of the Blues brothers.
Ian the “organizer”, who’d book a “Jolly Boys” outing, only to spend all night looking for the B&B until, finally having to ask a policeman for directions,!
Ian the camper, who didn’t bother looking at any instructions, then he and Jools struggled to put up the tent in the pouring rain, and then he proceeded to complain the whole week through about flies, mud and rain!
Ian the uncle, playing X-Box with Damon and good-naturedly grumbling when Damon beat him, blaming his “blind eye” for the defeat, until Damon covered one of his eyes and beat him again!
Watching “Teen Titans” and “Sponge-Bob”, with Josh, and instructing Kyle how to dig his pond, ”Just so”!
Ian the friend who always had time for you. Time, the most precious gift anyone can give.
Ian enjoyed winding people up, and he often did. He always enjoyed playing practical jokes, exploding cigarettes, sending junk mail for piano lessons, wigs, false teeth, and so-on to people he knew.
He rode a bike behind mum and dad’s back when the hospital had said he couldn’t, he fell off, had to have stitches in a VERY private place, and then, mum and dad got into trouble for something they knew nothing about!
He could even manage to make someone as laid back as Keith, slam his hand down onto the table, and ask Ian to, ”please shut up!”, whilst discussing how to set up a sound system.
The only time Ian would use his disability was for his own amusement, like riding into Wilkos on his scooter, knocking over a display and when staff rushed to help, reversing into another display and then saying,” Sorry I’m disabled AND blind in one eye”!!!!
Or, to maybe secure an autograph or three.
He lavished love on his animals. Missy, Jock & Meg were the luckiest dogs around.
Ian respected ALL life. He’d move snails of the pavement, hated the fact he had to feed live mealworms to his birds. He fed stray cats in Rhodes, rescued toads & so much more.
He’d NEVER intentionally hurt anyone or anything.
Ian may have only had just less than 37 years on this planet, but he packed more into his time than most do in their lifetime.
I DO know his happiest years were the past fourteen since meeting Jools. She completed his life and loved him as much as he loved her.
They achieved so much together, visiting America twice to meet lifelong pen pal Tony and standing on the Golden Gate Bridge, something he’d always wanted to do!
Then came Paris, the Eiffel Tower, Austria, Germany, Prague, Poland to name a few.
Anyone who knew Ian will be grieving and feeling the pain of loss in some shape or form, but, what I’d like EVERYONE HERE to do is:
Feel lucky to have known him and, maybe to have been on the receiving end of one of his “ripping yarns”, or practical jokes, even though his sense of humour could be “Quirky!”
To be proud of everything he achieved despite his condition.
To have viewed his award winning photography.
To have received his generosity, or to have been caught up in his enthusiasm for all things new.
To have heard his laugh, a laugh so loud it measured on the Richter scale!
To be lucky enough to have loved him, and to have had him love you back.
And, to rest assured, that if he were here now, he’d be holding your hand, telling you, ”life only gets better!”
SO, GOODBYE NORTHAMPTON’S ONLY “TIMELORD”, REST IN PEACE WITH YOUR SOUNDTRACKS IN YOUR EARS, AND ROOT BEER BY YOUR SIDE.
You leave behind people far richer in life for having known you, X.