General Chat

Andrew Marr (53), the Scottish journalist and well-known for his brilliant Sunday morning programme on BBC1, has suffered a stroke and is recovering in hospital.

And if that was not enough bad news for this morning, one of my good friends Brian (77), a retired postman from the Rhondda, died of a heart attack yesterday. He was one of fittest men I knew of that sort of age, but had a brain tumour diagnosed just before Christmas and was about to have radiotherapy.

I would have said both these men were extremely fit. It just shows how fragile each of us are.

I am so sorry to hear about Andrew Marr, we never miss his Sunday programme, and also on radio four. I hope he has a speedy recovery. Condolences for your loss John losing a close friend is so painful.

Many thanks, Paula <3

Yes, I think Andrew Marr is quite brilliant and I always watch him. Hopefully just an early warning, but he is so slim and runs so much. Big shock at only 53!!!!!

John, I'm sorry to hear about your friend. Also hoping Andrew Marr makes a good recovery.

I am reminded of the conversation between two ladies on the train once " old 'John' drank a glass of whiskey every day, it kept him fit till the day he died".

None of us know when and how, and even a lifetime of being generally fit is no guarantee that illness won't strike unfortunately.

Sorry to hear about your friend John, always sad to lose a friend and, as we get older it happens more often unfortunately.

I hope Andrew Marr makes a full recovery too.

Rose. So very true. It is the first time that anyone very close to me has died since my younger brother dropped down dead at 57 six years ago. Just when we start to think we are immortal.....

Last week, it was the birthday of Trevor, an old miner who lives in a small cwm up the valley from me. He walks up into the mountains to a few hundred feet every day and had just arrived back on the coach from a day trip to Weston. 99 he was!!! And still looks as if he has 20 years left.:-D

Then this news this morning. :-( :-(

Ann :-D Many thanks. Minister went to Brian's little terraced house yesterday and told me there were all his children and grandchildren supporting his wife - over 20 of them there. It will be a huge funeral and I hope a fitting send off to a great Rhondda soldier :-D

John sorry to hear about your friend.
My condolences to you and his family.

Emma

John....Sorry to hear about your friend.

Positive thoughts for Andrew!!

jude

Andrew Marr appears to be recovering and hopefully will get back in harness soon.

Huge surprise that someone of 53, so slim and fit, should have a stroke. Apparently, strokes are on increase and our modern lifestyle is the cause.

In particular, a fifth of strokes are caused by a bleed in the head when the blood escapes from the vessel and causes damage to the brain – and that type tends to be more common in the younger person.

I note that Karen Brady (the football manager) had such a stroke at 36. And Sharron Stone was very young too.

I don't get it :-S

Emma

Emma? What don't you get?

John do you know Andrew Marr
Is he a friend
I thought you would have put up some memories of your
friend not news of A Marr which I hear about via papers
and TV.

Maybe its just me but I thought at this time it would have
been nice to remember your friend and share a happy
memory.

Emma

Oh, I see, Emma. It was just that they happened at same time and both events were on my mind. Brian's funeral will be Thurday or Friday next week. All my memories of him are Christian ones. He used to run a little chapel, but numbers got very small. He joined my church not long before I joined when I came down here in 2007. We both ran services when it was "Local Arrangement". He had always lived in Rhondda, and had a lovely way of explaining about Jesus. Just a very typical Valleys saint who has gone to glory (no doubt in my mind of that) and we will celebrate his life and witness next week together :-D :-D It will be smiles rather than tears :-)

I would have been surprised if Brian had lasted 2013, and perhaps in his case the heart attack was a merciful release - even at only 77. But it does leave a hole in our lives, and it will be difficult for his widow, his 4 children and numerous grandchildren.

I just thought that Andrew Marr was such a shock for me and many others. I feel sure he will be ok, but it will still have knocked him and close friends and family for six.

We don't know whats round the corner for any of us John and it is a shock
when someone close to us becomes unwell and dies.

Did not mean anything disrespectful by asking about your friend and
I also like to celebrate the life of my loved ones and share my happy
memories of them.

Emma

Well, as the words of the song say "Enjoy yourself, it's later than you think"!

Emma :-D :-D I did go to a funeral once where everyone seemed to fling themselves on the coffin, wailing. Very upsetting. Suppose we all deal with grief in our own way.

Lost almost all my close family now. Parents (60 and 63), brother (57), fil (77). Wife (59) and mil (95) are all that is left of my generation and above. I had 2 mini strokes about 11 years ago, but they were definitely preventable and have lived a simple, stress-free life ever since. Plenty of walking, no smoking, no drinking, very occasional kissing. Am well, but aware I could get pulled off the field of play today. Or I could live to 106. And I think now I wil be happy to go when it is my time. And I hope no one will weep over me too much.

But these strokes of Andrew Marr and Karen Brady are really unlucky and not preventable, it seems. So young, eat well, exercise hard. So unfair, it seems.

So true GeordieinNorfolk, thanks for that the song is now
stuck in my head :-)

The only time I came across a big display of grief/emotion was
when I was at the graveside of a woman I nursed many years
ago. One of the other nurses started wailing, waving her arms
in the air and speaking to the person in the coffin, apparently
this was how she was brought up to react at funerals. I would
have hated to see her when one of her own had died as I found
this so upsetting as did others.

Emma

John I send my condolenscenses to you and hope all goes as well as it can be at your friend Brian's funeral service next week. I hope also that Andrew Marr will be well supported and make a good recovery from his recent stroke.

Lovely, kandj :-D :-D Will be thinking of all these nice messages next week :-D

I was shocked to hear of Andrew Marr being so ill, I do hope he makes a good recovery.

My sympathy on the loss of your friend John, as you said, probably a quick release from the pain and suffering he would have suffered with the brain tumour but an awful shock for his family who would have thought there was time to say or do more. I am glad there are so many of them to support each other.

My o.h. had a bleed on the brain in 2007, when he was 53 and is on warfarin now, he has also developed diabetes. Had I not made him see the doc as he was having deja vu moments, he wouldn't have been medicated, and might have gone on to have a bigger stroke.

I hope your miner friend Trevor can continue in good health, he sounds really hale and hearty, bless him.

Lizx