Well! Where do you begin, Tony was a Man.Everything Tony did from an early age he did to extreme. He got into something, and became an expert. How can a Farmer become a Computer expert, how can a computer expert become an underwater cameraman and wildlife film maker, how can he draw cartoons and publish a book of characatures, how can he then get into guns and do EVERY aspect of repair including colour case hardening. Answer, because he found questions and needed answers or he wouldn't rest.
We went Game shooting together and I arranged the shoots and venues, he would say, 'Make sure they can transport me to my peg because of my leg' (or lack of it) he would then march off (limp ) into the distance and get to his peg unaided.
We all on here know his story, what you don't know is the following.
I was impressed with his ebook and said to him 'you need to get this into hard copy and write a book that will be here forever' ye ye he would say and ignore me.
Then he collapsed and was diagnosed with a brain tumour and was given six weeks to live.
So he started to write his book, expand it and revamp it, to do this he would spend after school hours until they went to bed with Will his son and Izzy his daughter, then he would write, often until 3&4 in the morning, knowing full well that I an insomniac would be available, and he would ring or email me in the early hours and say 'does this sound right'. As we know he got it all done the day before he died.
I visited his wife Marie last week, and Marie never knew any of the above, she didn't even know that I was Salopian although Tony would mention the name. Tony never complained, he just did things and did them well.
Tony was as open as a book and shared his problem with you here because we are all in the ether, in cyberspace.
Maybe he needed a crutch, but didn't want to burden his friends. He never felt sorry for himself, and I never was asked 'Why me'.
Consider yourself lucky for knowing Tony. I most certainly do.
Salopian.
