Lily



 I lowered Bluebells’ windows wide and drove down the A55 at a pace.
What covid I breathed out soon was blasted out of the car in an instant and soon I was feeling cold but exhilarated by the wind. 
that’s cleared the old tubes I thought
I drove to Colwyn Bay and sat on the beach with my flask of coffee
This was 9 am this morning and I had already walked the dogs.
Women were wild swimming in the sea and I could here them laughing from where I sat.
It’s always nice to hear laughter no matter where it’s from

It’s been a long and fairly miserable winter all told
I’ve never experienced one so long, except in lockdown 
And with spring here things seem to be on the up. 
They feel better? 
Don’t you think? 

Two women passed me , they were talking about Paul O’Grady whose death was announced this morning
“ I loved him as Lily Savage” one said to another and I wondered if O’Grady knew just how affectionately he was thought of I thought.
I loved the story about him when he was comparing a drag show in the 1980s in London and the bar was raided by Policemen all wearing rubber gloves ( HIV protection) because it braking section 28 rules, Lily Savage called out to the punters that they were there to help with the washing up.
Thanks to O ‘Grady we now have drag Queens in our libraries reading stories to children. 
With his Liverpudlian wit, amazing legs and fuck you attitude that never lost a little warmth, he endeared himself to the majority that met him. 
He did a great deal for the  LGBTQ+  Community 
And he loved his dogs.
You were a class act Lily …..a real class act








53 comments:

  1. I have never heard a bad word said against Paul. He came across as a gentle, kind and caring man. RIP Mr. O'Grady!

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    1. The lovely tributes here speak volumes

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  2. As I understand it, he was a great man AND drag queen.

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  3. Anonymous4:05 pm

    Hi John, your post today says it all re Paul O’Grady, admit it really upset me to hear of his passing. How are you? Is the covid feeling better, the (self inflicted - oops) face wound looking good . The sea, your dogs and coffee should do the trick in buoying you up. Take care. Jan in Castle Gresley

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    1. Yes my throat feels better, thank you for asking …my head is fine nothing much to show, it was a scratch

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  4. A man phoned in to one of the news channels today saying that when he was homeless, Paul crouched down to talk to him, said "We'd better get some food into your belly." Bought him a meal, then paid for a room in a hotel for the night for him. What a man. Sadly missed. xx

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  5. Read about Lily's death today.
    Such a loss. The wit, the humour. The nerve, the gumption.

    XOXO

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  6. The world is that bit darker today. Rest in peace, paul.

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    1. If anyone knew the rougher parts of Birkenhead in the 1980s know Lily was real . As was her sister Vera

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  7. Anonymous4:15 pm

    POG will be missed by so many, he was such a funny man. His dog adoption shows are wonderful.. Rest in peace, Paul. GG in Toronto

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    1. You are saying what many are thinking

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  8. I'm watching him now on tv - At Battersea - He could brighten anyday - A breathe of fresh air - I loved him - I hope is now reunited with his beloved ones x

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  9. Anonymous4:36 pm

    Condolences to his family, he was above all else someone who was deeply loved by his family.

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  10. I loved Paul O'Grady. I think he was one of a kind and a salt of the earth person. I am not a dog lover (apart from William) but his sheer love for the dogs (and cats) at Battersea Dogs and Cats home warmed my heart. He had great acerbic wit but was kind hearted too.

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    1. Being remembered so fondly is a wonderful expression of how people viewed u

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  11. Anonymous5:01 pm

    Hi John. Was so shocked and saddened to hear the news this morning. Really upset me. He will be dearly missed. Whenever I thought about Battersea, I'd think of him and watching one of the Battersea programmes now. Thoughts are with his family and friends (including the furry kind) Louise X

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    1. I loved that he was a dog man. But it was his earlier days as a drag and a strong positive influence for the gay community

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    2. Anonymous8:21 pm

      Very much, John. Totally agree with your comment. Louise X

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  12. Lovely man. He will be greatly missed.

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  13. Meanwhile here in America, they are banning books about LGBTQ+, and the history of racisim. No sexual education before the age of 12. Girls must not talk about their periods in school, you cannot say the word "gay" and students cannot view the statue of "David" by Michelangelo without parental consent!

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    1. In our own schools they teach about the Holocaust but little about the slave trade Britain made its fortunes on

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    2. Also very little about the fortune spent on stopping the slave trade, not to mention the sailors lives lost trying to halt this vile trade.

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  14. But, 16yr. old kids can have an assault weapon..; or two or four. I'm through now.

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    1. I understand your frustration in the wake of another school shooting

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  15. I've never heard of him and could barely understand anything he was saying in those clips (even close captioning couldn't make heads or tales of it) but he looked amazing and like you said 'It’s always nice to hear laughter no matter where it’s from'. In the end I got the giggles myself! A class act indeed ..

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    1. I get this, his/her accent is very broad . Liverpool is only 18 miles from Trelawnyd ( as the crow flies) but the accent is totally different ….my mother was born in Liverpool of Liverpudlian parents

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  16. Barbara Anne5:42 pm

    Obviously and kind, funny, and wonderful man but one Id never heard of. My loss. Sympathy to all who loved him.

    Hugs!

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    1. His accent in the clip is very common scouse ( Liverpudlian …from Liverpool ) difficult to keep up with if you lack the ear for it

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  17. PO is new to me but he definitely seems endearing and well liked. His ingenious whit and quick thinking brought smiles and laughter to the stage and life situations. Also, as we all know, dog lovers are very special people. Your trip to the beach sounds great. What is not to like about sunshine and salty air along with a jug of coffee? I'm with you 100%, bring on Spring weather and warmth.

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    1. He reinvented himself several times which seemed a theme in his autobiography , but he was kind

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  18. He will be so missed and was such a genuine man. Thank you for the youtube clip, it did make me laugh, I'd forgotten how funny he was

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    1. Yes the clip was him ad-libbing and boy was he good at it

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  19. He is sadly missed. His love of dogs, especially rescue dogs, was amazing and I hope someone is there to take care of his own dogs.

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    1. He has a husband jean

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    2. The poor man must be distraught and I feel for him. At least his dogs have some hope.

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  20. A lovely genuine person. He will be missed by many

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    1. That’s what everyone seems to be saying which is lovely

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  21. I'm devastated; I've only just heard the news about Paul O'Grady I can't imagine the world without Lily and the lovely Paul.. this world isn't fair they are gone far far too soon. I'm truly upset I can't believe it! Your trip to Colwyn Bay sounds like it blew the Covid right out of you... I really hope you have turned the corner and are getting much better. I love it when you hear others laughing it can be very contagious makes me smile and giggle a bit at the energy.

    Jo in Auckland

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  22. I didn't know he died. Lily was just brilliant, as the clip you've featured reminded us.

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  23. I was genuinely shocked. Far too young!

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  24. The video reminded me just how sharp and funny he was. Sorry to hear that he passed away.

    I do feel that Spring is in the air and that happy excitement after the long dark "waiting" of winter. Even with the cosiness of home, I'm more than ready for the sun and the outdoors.

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  25. First thing this morning I thought I just HAVE to do a blog-post on Paul O'G, even though I personally have never really cared for him in either of his past personas (though I do applaud his well-known care of and appreciation of dogs in particular as well as, of course, his very public pro-gay stances in past hostile times). Now with this post of yours there's far less need to do one myself. However I had intended to point up the enormous disparity between how, over here, there's seemingly exclusive positive and adulatory reaction to his life on the very sad news of his passing - as opposed to the U.S.A. with its current hysteria against drag acts and, even worse, anti-transexuality, all of which is spilling over into anti-gay (generally) legislation in so many conservative states. There's been hardly a word said against drag here, and anti-gay sentiments, at least in over 90% of the media, has been virtually banished for over 20 years now. (Could a principal American TV or radio station 'get away with' using the expression "his husband" [or "her wife"] without the sky falling in? I think not).
    Anyway, I still might do a post - and if so, better before interest lessens.

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    1. Your 2nd sentence - Yes, but only up to a point. Before the 1990s if any one of those camp acts dared to even mention that they were gay they'd have been finished, due a large part to the scum 'popular' press. Thank heavens that, at least, is largely no more.

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  26. He will be greatly missed, by so many people. I used to time my Sunday evening drives to coincide with his radio show when I travelled backwards and forwards from the caravan, it was sheer joy from start to end. The works that he has done for all kinds of animals and people will never be forgotten. I really feel for his husband, it seems so sudden.

    I can only imagine the raucous laughter up in heaven with Paul, Cilla and Babs all regaling each other with stories they need to catch up on.

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  27. Anonymous10:48 am

    You mentioned the ladies wild swimming in the sea. I am more of a warm swimming pool swimmer. Have you ever thought about trying wild swimming?.
    So many people have alot to thank POG for he made the world a better place for so many.
    Irene

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  28. My Sister in Law wild swims in the sea....she may well have been part of the group you observed....far too 'bracing' for me to even be tempted! Brrr!

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  29. This was on television? My gosh. I can't imagine this happening prior to cable/satellite television. We used to be pretty prissy about what we allowed on the air.

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