Yes, I'm in the ACO stand, and look forward to meeting any CA-ers who also slum it up there!

Having survived the Test Weekend with no more than a couple of wobbly moments, I am pleased to report in as intending to be there!

I do not intend to camp on the Saturday night, but will rough it in Deb's car in Parking Blanc - which is what we used to do in the days before Deb became a CA-er and all this camping mullarkey kicked off. I have a barn full of tents, too!

I would hope to do a bit of a tour round BN in the latter part of the week, so if you see me, do say hello. I will try to wear a Mr Termite CA shirt to be conspicuous.

May everyone have a great race this year - and let's have some proper f**k*ng weather. It was 14 degrees at 3 p.m. today!

Aerodynamics continue to be a source of some mystery to car-designers. Every year in F1 this or that team finds their new toy hasn't got as much grip as the theory says it should have - or at least that's what they tell us. One of the continuing themes in F1 is loss of front downforce when running in dirty air behind a competitor, and that looks as though it might have afflicted the Dalmas GT1 in that dramatic clip.

Well as everyone might guess, 2012 has been about the shittiest year of my life, having lost our best man, an old schoolmate, in February, as well as Deb in September, of course. Indeed, of the 6 of us at our (intentionally!) tiny wedding ceremony in 1974, three are now dead from cancer, which seems a bit unfair.

But - hey, life goes on, and I've coped ok so far. I will repeat what I hope I said at the time - CA meant a great deal to Deb, and your warmth over the years, and especially during the tough times in the last 4 years, has certainly helped me too.

But my troubles are not really yours, and I sincerely hope that everyone gets suitably wrecked tonight, has a good New Year, and that 2013 brings us all a little more of whatever we lack.

I look forward to seeing many of you in June!
 

Morning, Chaps & Chapesses

A few weeks back, I got my arse in gear and rang the ACO about Deb's membership, which expired at the end-October. Lady seemed quite happy for me to transfer to my name, and a new card with a new membership number would arrive. I paid up. Last week a card duly arrived - in Deb's name, with old number - but with no conjoint card, which used to arrive for me, of course. This morning I tried using this to book - zippo. So rang, and lady found my details had been entered, gave me my new membership number - and transferred me to the billeterie, where a very nice man booked my ACO Tribune ticket and a Parking Blanc space, as well as a general entrance ticket. Again, all paid for - so I expect to be there!

CA-ers might not be surprised to know that I'm still undecided about Le Mans 2013, given recent events. The ACO membership was in Termie's name, of course, and expires in a fortnight. Can't yet make my mind up whether to go on my own or give it a miss. I can change my mind about actually being there on the day, of course, with a walk-in ticket with the majority - but it would feel weird not having a member's grandstand ticket, not having anywhere to park.

The head is still spinning, really.

Hideous was not my first reaction. Interesting that it has a Maser engine, because the side elevation has something of the 4.7 litre Masers of the '70s about it. It looks purposeful enough - although the wide open grill thrills me less.

X-cruciating!

I'm sure it's not an original thought, but Deb always used to say that if the dead could see the outpouring of grief at their funeral etc they would often be amazed. I think she would be truly gobsmacked to have such a Memorial Fund in her name, and I thank Del for his diligence and members for their generosity - lovely to see Deb's name associated with donations to such worthwhile charities.

Anyone who wants to read my eulogy, which mainly consist of a potted digest of Deb's life, can find a copy here. I'm afraid I haven't edited out the French paragraphs - and if you speak/read good French, you can have a laugh at some of it!

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/104274476/Eulogy.rtf

Thanks Brad, that is a memorable quote indeed.

The cremation went as well as these thing can, and I got through my 8-page eulogy. There were about 30 mourners,which was ideal for me to meet and greet. CA was brilliantly represented by JDS, Nopanic and Wishy, and we spent a few minutes chatting after others had gone, which was brill in itself. We thought that probably Brad was the last CA-er - apart from me - to see Deb alive, and the warmth of your exchange when you'd gone back to Silverstone in the face of huge sadness, and Deb was so grateful to see you, and so overcome by your distress, was such that it was a great sign-off from the Forum that had brough Deb so much joy over the years.

I hope to meet many of you next year - at Le Mans!
 

With the cremation on Monday, this weekend I have to compose an eulogy. It will need to be in both languages, but I am determined that it should be all mine - the French may be weak, but it will be the best I can do, with a little help from online dictionaries etc!
Inasmuchas I have been a bit curmudgeonly about invitations to the event, I feel the least I can do is publish it here after I have delivered it - and I can also tell you how far I got if I fell to bits on the way. Cunning plan - as recommended by a friend's vicar - is to have a copy with a sensible member of the mourners, who can step in and read to the end if I am unable to continue. As I may have mentioned, I have a hard act to follow, with Deb delivering first rate eulogies for both her father and her sister.

I seem to have failed to post about the plastic duck on here - apologies. When she was very young, Deb bought her father a yellow plastic duck for his birthday - like y'do. (?) More than 30 years later, when he died, it was still in his bathroom, and since then it has been in ours. The Funeral Director suggested that it is quite normal to have a keepsake in the coffin - guess where the duck will be on Monday! The FD was quite happy to accept the plastic duck, said it was most suitable, and enjoyed its provenance.

Fantastic, Del, thankyou very much. I am so proud of the response here and elsewhere, and this makes it tangible in a useful way.

Ian

She wouldn't have minded Deborah - but Debbie (little girl in pigtails?) would have peed her off very big time!

Deb will be cremated at Le Mans (where else?!) on Monday 10th September at 1100. I am NOT expecting droves of people to turn up. Some of you will have recognised that I am a more private person than was Deb, and I do not relish having to meet and greet many mourners. Reading pages of your generous tributes has had me on the ropes, believe me! An online event at 1000 BST sounds like a lovely way to celebrate her passing - raising a pint at a more suitable time also sounds appropriate.

We are still negotiating the final resting place of the ashes, which is subject to strict rules in France. The funeral director is being as helpful as he can within the law.