Hello, everyone. I am afraid I am feeling desperately sad today. I expect you'll have heard about the collision between two military helicopters in Shropshire on Wednesday afternoon. One man was killed and three others injured. It was our lead story on BBC Midlands Today. Well this morning I learned that the dead man was someone I have known since childhood. Someone I grew up with...someone I remember with great affection. John Garnons Williams was the son of a teaching colleague of my father's at Berkhamsted School in Hertfordshire. He went on to have a distinguished career in the services and for some ten years had been a civilian helicopter instructor. I am shattered about it and found it very difficult to read out his name during our lunchtime news today. My parents, aged 91 and 84, are both deeply upset, as are all the many people who knew John and his family from his days living in Berkhamsted. My sympathies to his family in Shrewsbury which has been their home for a long time. People often ask if we are ever affected by the awful news we sometimes have to read out. Well, I certainly have been today, but there have been other cases in the past, particularly when it concerns someone I know or if it involves cruelty to children. It can be very distressing to talk about those stories on air. RIP John.
On a lighter note, hasn't the weather been just appalling? What is going on? And it always seems dark, whatever time of day!I am a bit concerned weatherwise about the big game tomorrow night at the Hawthorns between West Bromwich Albion and Luton Town. Hope it won't be rained off because of a waterlogged pitch. I am even more concerned that we have sold yet another top player, Rowan Vine..this time to Birmingham City for up to three million. Gutted, in fact. A terrific signing for Blues, a great loss toLuton, but that is what happens with a small club,always prey to the big predators. Players understandably have ambitions, both to play with a big club at the highest level and to earn as much as they can financially. Luton would never stand in their way, if the deal was right. In the last year we have lost Curtis Davies, Steve Howard, Kevin Nicholls, Carlos Edwards and now Vine. Half a side of extremely good players. I like to think Luton have contibuted hugely to making them the players they are now and that they will always have a place in their hearts for the homely confines of Kenilworth Road. Good luck Rowan and thanks for some cracking performances. Good player, solid character.
Must go and get on with the job of helping put the news together...thanks for all your great messages, as ever, and I am sorry I can't reply to them all. I do appreciate them. And, in answer to queries about my autobiog, it's called In the Time of Nick, published by Brewin Books. Keep smiling....Nick
Nick Owen
4 comments:
Hi Nick
im sorry to hear that one of your friends was someone involved in the awful crash I cant imagine how hard it must be to have to read that on the news. My sympathys go out to his family and friends at this difficult time.
Sorry to hear you've lost another of your top players! thats a shame I hope your team still does well what league are they in? i dont know too much about football other than the premiership im afraid altho last weekend I did watch the Tamworth v Norwich match for the fa cup that was interesting! I was obviously supporting Tamworth its a shame that they lost but inevitable really as i think there were 72 places between the two teams in the league! but they played really really well none the less.
I didnt realise you had an auto biog i'll look it up!
Nicky
Cheers, Nicky. Thanks for your kind words...Luton play in the Championship, one below the Prem but the way things are going we'll be down at the end of the season! Take care...N
Very Sad news about your friend and the others who died in the collision, i was writing to say thank you for Rowan Vine, but really that is nothing, a very bad time for all there families.
Johnny W
What an awful way to start 2007 , Im so sorry about your friend, my thoughts go out to his family. The weather is really strange at the moment, what a terrible night of wind and rain. The football although a mans interest i still like to hear the news on players and how they are doing, shrewsbury are ninth in the tables at the moment and their new stadium is nearly completed but where oh where is all the traffic going to park? Its bad enough when they play at the meadow!! They have built the stadium at the back of the local sainsburys so i for one will not be shopping on a saturday when they play!!
Supreme
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