The Fucking Fuchsia

Val, Bingley and Peter

I was walking up Byron Street yesterday when flower show stalwart,   Bethan stopped her car to tell me the dreadful news that village resident, champion fuchsia grower and all around nice guy, Peter V had sadly  passed away that morning.
Peter and his partner Trelawnyd Val had been an integral part of village life for some years before their recent move to our neighbouring village of Caerwys.
Infamous for using astroturf in their garden ( a fact that nearly gave our flower show judge a stroke) Peter and Val were always prominent in all aspects of village life.
With great humour and warmth, I remember the couple judging our village fete " name the turkey competition " as well as entering the Trelawnyd Flower Show fuchsia class with their monster fuchsia (which had to wheelbarrowed into the memorial hall by two sweaty men ) and my daily walk around the village was never complete without a wave and a thumbs up by an upbeat Peter who was invariably sat in his conservatory with a paper .
His battle with cancer was characteristically brave and wonderfully inspiring.
I shall miss him and his blokey positivism
There is always something infectious about natural good humour and warmth
Peter had it in bucketloads .
We send our love and thoughts to Val xxx


40 comments:

  1. My condolences to Val.

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  2. Oh, I'm so sorry to hear this. My thoughts are with his family <3

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  3. A sad tale. I hope his Fuchsias live on.

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  4. Sad news, condolences to his family.

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  5. My sympathies to Val.

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  6. Village stalwarts like this are at the heart of so many villages and I know that when they pass on they leave an enormous hole in village life until another stalwart arises to take their place. Pass on my sympathies too please John.

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  7. "We send our love and thoughts to Val xxx"

    Yes. Me too. Some people seem to just make others feel better by being around them, don't they?

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  8. Anonymous9:12 am

    I think you made reference to his forthcoming demise recently. It great that you knew him and remember him well.

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  9. A sad day, my condolences to his family.

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  10. Condolences to Val x

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  11. So sad. Please pass my condolences to Val.

    I hope she has many friends in the village where she lives now, and I hope the Fuchsia will be displayed at this years Flower Show as a mark of respect. xx

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  12. Heavy news, J.G. So sorry.

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  13. :`(

    my condolences to all who knew peter; may his fuchsia bloom more brightly this year.

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  14. I'm sure his happy smiling face will be missed....my condolences.

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  15. Sounds a wonderfully warm chap.....condolences to Val. Bloody cancer yet again. I am in remission from Lymphoma which I am told will come back at some point. Cancer takes so many people....too many.

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    Replies
    1. Margo .. my son married a beautiful girl, all was well then about 6 months after they married, she found a lump in her neck. She went through what you probably went through .. and came out at the end with an All Clear and permission to make a baby .. I am now the proud grandmother of a 2 year old and his mama is perfectly healthy .... I hope the same healthy news from you ... not babies especially, but stay well :)

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  16. I remember reading about Peter and Val on here John and your sadness when they moved away. Please send my condolences to his wife.

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  18. So sorry, John. Your friend sounds like a lovely man who will be remembered fondly by those who he knew.

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  19. My condolences to you and his loved ones. A good person should be valued and I am glad to see that you wrote of him so sweetly.

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  20. Condolences to Val and your community John.

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  21. My condolences to Val.

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  22. Thank you, John, a lovely tribute from a good friend. The fuchsia will return! Love and thanks to all your readers for their kind thoughts xxx

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    1. I think its lovely people even here remembered him val x

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  23. So sad John. Cancer seems to visit most families these days.

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  24. And now it feels a bit as if my very own village had lost a dear one.

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  25. Lovely thoughts . . . tribute . . .
    My condolences and caring to his wife, family
    and friends . . . like you . . .

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  26. Condolences to Val and her family.

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  27. Sad news and hugs to Val.

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  28. Sounds like Peter had a wonderful attitude. My deepest condolences to his wife Val. Xxx

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  29. I remember you writing about him. The astro turf, the flowers and his move a few years ago.
    So sad to read about this.
    Condolences to his wife and the family.

    cheers, parsnip

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  30. My condolences to Val and all their family!

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  31. Sincere Condolences to his loved ones.
    It made me chuckle that they had astro turf in their garden. LOL

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  32. Their AstroTurf (and you) made them famous far beyond the borders of wales. My thoughts are with Val.

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  33. My condolences to you and the village.

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