Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms Sadly no final drive….

Don’t read this post if you are just a petrolhead or only interested in Morgans, it’s about life and death.
I was going to write this post before last Christmas but not tiled the above , more like Old Men Muttering . I stupidly got a bit upset at some argument that had nothing to do with me and stopped posting for a week or so.

Well every year near Christmas, a group of male ‘friends’ meet up for a meal and a get together to catch up if we haven’t seen each other during the year.
There was a Swedish guy who is married to a vivacious Italian woman who has an internationally famous chef niece. Why we end up at average restaurants when she could guide us is a mystery, plus there is a Michelin place yards from where we went and all live, plus others locally !
So he has had a Lamborghini Espada being rebuilt over the last four years. The usual tale of delay, legal threats, then out of the blue all new valves needed making but definitely this year a planned drive to Italy and then Sweden.

My best mate, a plumber or as we reprinted his stationery for his largish company, an environmental enterprise. He wooed his wife with several Lotus cars but now is sensible with a big Volvo.

The third guy is a Welsh chap , a well known Professor of Medicine. He spent 30 years wowing Californian women with his wonderful Welsh voice, like Burton and driving old English sports cars but not a Morgan. He brought one home , wife not car !

The next guy is a musician who still plays with Rock Royalty but is often bemused . We left his place set up but he failed to show up. Probably arrived the next day but later told us he forgot.

The next friend has not lost his Yorkshire accent and was in international advertising man Living in France for some years and doing those car ads at the time certain French brands were popular - mainly down to him. He hates cars now but set up some Silver surfer, Grey Nomad type agency at the end of his career and sold it to fund his retirement.

Then there is me. Enough said, I’m an open book.

So we talked about Glory Days, past cars, past lives, previous and current wives, kids and lots of Politics. Most anti Starmer, most anti Labour and all worried about the country. Par for the course and the demographic of the guys ?

Well sadly, whilst we are away in Spain we have been told Lamborghini man will not get his final glorious summer road trip, he died over the weekend..

The moral of the story is obvious, often repeated by Richard +8 and Graham but we will set a place for him at our Christmas get together so as to remember his good times and tales.
Another person we know also died at the weekend.

Best to all of you, enjoy what you have . Michael

Michael, I'm sorry to read of the loss of your friend.

As you intimated, none of us know what is around the corner and yet we all, more often than not, ignore that and often let silly things distract, frustrate, or annoy us.

I've had life throw a few signifiant 'curve balls' at me over recent years and I've come to realise that I view that the clarity of 'time is precious' is akin to a fuel tank; something awful reminds us of that message, the tank is filled up, and then, over time, life returns to a modicum of normality, the aspects of daily life take over, and the clarity tank slowly depletes until it is soon running on fumes again, with the lesson back far down the road, where the tank was still full.

I try to remind myself not to allow the tank to deplete but that is a challenge and perhaps human nature; it could be that we don't want to focus on our own mortality or that life simply gets busy and pondering life takes a back seat.

What I do know is that you story is all too common and one familiar to me and my wider friendship group.

A little further from home, I recently logged onto a web site, not dissimilar to TM - a niche community for a hobby - only to find that the chap who ran it had passed away after an extended illness. I hadn't logged onto the site in about 12-months and was saddened to read of his passing. The site had not only helped grow my knowledge and enthusiasm but also fostered online and offline friendships based around it. The forum has operated for as long as I can remember and I've been a member for nearly two decades. Although I had spoken with him on a few occasions on the phone, as well as interacting with him on the site, I really didn't know him; therefore, I was surprised at how sad I was to read of his passing. Perhaps it was a reminder to fill the clarity tank or perhaps it was a reminder that things taken for granted can be taken away in the blink of an eye. Either way, I can relate to your post.

Mike so sorry to read of you losing two old friends, that really is a big blow and sadly as you alluded to, you Graham and I discussed this on the occasions that we met on our TM mini tours in your neck of the woods Dorset way last year.

It was a joy to have you join us on each occasion for many reasons and the strongest being your sense of humour mixed with self deprocation - being ex Rugby too you are the complete package and a crazy so fitted in so well to our little group and we look forward to the next meeting.

Malcolm enjoyed your company too when he showed up with his Max on one of our visits, always so many funny life stories to tell like yourself and so personable.

Take care and enjoy your journeying despite your losses as I am sure they would have liked that to see you pressing on and not wasting time mourning over them but celebrating their lives in a positive way..

Here are my disconected jottings, for what its worth.

They say that the snipers alley is aged 60-70. And if you get to 70 it gets less risky.I'm not convinced.

My consultant told me that he deals with strokes as early in life as 2yrs old. He also said that fitness will not prevent a stroke but may assist in recovery. There are 40k TIA strokes every year in the UK, and all ages. Recovery, even from these will vary. Life changing strokes are not included in that statistic, and in the two days I spent on the stroke ward, I saw many people who will never be the same again.

But you can't go into cotton wool mode either. I've known three serious runners. The type who are stick thin, eat salads and run every day. Two ended up with pacemakers in ther sixties. All three were dead before seventy. My mother, who dodged most life extending activities made it to 93, but dementia took the last three years.

Some friends are moving house, 250 miles south of Derbyshire. They are seventy. Good luck to them but that's not something we would tackle at that age.They don't really see mortality as looming in the distance.

So all I can say is watch the dashboard lights. Blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, excess weight, inadequate exercise, and so on. Because in the end its a bit of a lottery.

Snipers alley 60-70.......... nooooooooo..!!!! I was told it was 50-60..........😂
I've just turned 60...!!!😂😂
In my working life I was faced, on a very regular basis, with folk who started the day expecting all to be normal...... but never made it home.....
Life is unbelievably fragile, we all hang on by a thread....... there are no guarantees.
Now is the time to do things, don't put things off til tomorrow...... it might not come.....!
Mike, I'm sorry to hear of the passing of your mates.

Blokes are the worst at going to the Doc to get checked out.... if it doesn't feel right, look right or has gone a funny colour....... get it checked out....!!!

🇬🇧🇬🇧

Looking at the vulnerability of life is not just for us oldies as I recall my first look at the reality of living. At the age of 18 I passed out as a Royal Marine Commando having completed one of the toughest challenges both physically but most of all mentally where 75% of those who joined did not complete the 9 months training. As we assembled off the parade ground in our Dress Blues hidden from our loved ones, families and friends the Regimental Sergeant Major told us to look into the eyes and hug each other as this will be the last time you will all be together and some of you will not live to be able to get together, a very sobering moment. We then marched on behind the Royal Marine band the best there is and then at the end of the parade marched off to the command "Royal Marines to your Duties, Quick March. Within 10 days one of us was gone killed in Northern Ireland over the next 5 years we lost 6 more, we have a reunion every year and out of the 22 who hugged each other on that day there are 12 of us left. Live life to the full every day, you just don't know.

RESPECT

Respect well said.

Ansolutely, each new day should be treated as a blessing.

Well, I suspect that this post will resonate with many on TM, the cars seem to appeal to what is now known as the Boomer generation for some reason. Simons post got me thinking - should we, as we get older, slow down, or just go for it with what we are able to do. Using Simons example, when the tank gets really low, do you just slow right down and make your fuel last as long as possible, only to fill the tank and continue at full chat for a bit longer or when refilling, take it a bit easier and hope to get more miles out of a tank?

Today, for what it's worth, is my 80th birthday, and frankly, I think I am a little surprised to have made it at all, with high cholesterol, blood pressure and a stent, apart of course, from all the normal joint replacements, so I'm a bit stiffer, finding it more difficult to bend over and of course, find I drop more stuff on the floor! Getting out of the Morgan is something I have to give a little thought to, and whilst I still get under the car, getting up again is a pia.

However, I still ride my bike frequently, (electric these days), bought a kayak recently and intend to get out in that, although I'm not sure if I will actually try the roller skates I impetuously bought last year, and of course still drive my Morgan and the Caterham Seven, as often as I can.

So, I am obviously trying hard not to miss that last final drive, whenever it comes...........