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And God said ‘let there be Brian, Gaydon, Ted, …….and lo it came to pass. I was born on October 1953 at Trevallyn Hospital, just outside Wrexham in North Wales.

Photo 1 Photo 2 My father, Brian Thomas Edwards, was a bricklayer at the time, married to my mother Gwendoline Jones. (See photos 1&2) We lived in a small 3 down 2 up house in Wales. Having only an outside loo 50 yards up the garden, with no hot or cold water it was necessary to take a bucket of water with you. It was fun sometimes in the Summer to be bathed outside, (see photo 3) but it was a different matter in Winter when we used to get approximately 2 to 3 foot of snow. I can still remember using a goes-under during the evenings, getting a cold circle mark on one’s bottom.

Photo 3

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My love of sports and all things outdoors began in Wales, running and playing on the local hills and around our home in Brymbo. We were taught Welsh at school and shamefully I can now only speak a handful of words. My father decided to move jobs, and went to Lusaka, in Northern Rhodesia, to teach bricklaying. My sister Pamela and I were only 1 and 3 years old respectively at the time. My sister Cheryl was born while we were there. On our return from Northern Rodesia my hair was white, having been bleached by the sun. This was despite the fact that I did dress for the much warmer weather in Africa, and wore a hat daily as part of my school uniform. (see photo 4) My parents went on to have another 4 children on our return to England. Barrie, Christine, Theresa and finally David. I was refered to to as “snowie of the seven dwarfs” by my friends at school. Over the years the nick name “snowie” has stuck with me. It has always been a blessing though, to be a part of a large family.

` Photo 4 My father told me that one of the funniest thing that happened to him in Africa was when asking class to describe a trowel. One chap stood up and went through the motions whilst describing how he would use it for killing things and then skinning and gutting them!

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Another time my mother said that she had had a native come to the door with a broken bicycle pump to say that that our dog had broken it. When asked how, he said it was when he had hit it. He was sent packing! That reminds me of another incident recanted to me. In Africa, which was part of the Empire at the time, it was common for ex-patriots to employ the locals. We had a nanny, a gardener and a chef. One day we came home to find our chef drunk. When sober enough to talk he was asked for an explanation. It turned out that he had opened both ends of a large can of peaches looking for peas and carrots and had spilled the whole lot on the floor. We sailed out to Africa on the S.S. Umgani at a time when I was three and returned when I was six. We would have stayed, but at the time there was stoning of peoples’ cars, and many local groups of terrorists in our area. We sailed back on the S.S. Umtali. We moved back to Towester in England, as my father had secured a job working in Building Controls at Northampton Borough Council. We shortly moved to 61 Wantage Road in Northampton and lived there until I was 11. I firstly went to Stimpson Avenue Junior School, which I enjoyed immensely. I passed my 11 Plus and went on to Trinity High School, where I was first introduced to Rugby, a passion of mine which I played for 34 years. I took a back seat after an injury during a game between Oakham and Peterborough, ironically were we live now. After we moved to the Old School House at Stretton, and my schooling continued at Stamford School for Boys. Where we went to School six days a week. Something you get used to. In a food-eating contest on 2 of the CCF days, I had food eating competitions with Mark James, the golfer. Both he and I could not join in, as I had a transport problem, with having to catch a Barton’s bus to Casterton Village College, where a further Bland’s of Cottesmore bus had to be caught to get home. Mark was off practising his golf. Anyway, I won on the 2 occasions firstly with 22 fat Lincolnshire sausages. On the second occasion, 18 fish fingers. 40 holes in 2, rather than only a hole in 1! Work I have worked for and with my father since I was a child helping out and this and that, and this continued after finishing school. My father was now working for himself as a small builder. My father taught me bricklaying and building generally, but he is also a Master Builder in the Traditional manner. He could design and if required build, anything himself. He taught me many of the other trades, plastering, carpentry and joinery, plumbing, electrics, roofing, groundworks. Combining what my father taught me, what I saw when we used sub-contractors and the knowledge I learned at Peterborough Technical College doing my Institute Of Builders this courses, gave me a wonderful understanding of construction that has been invaluable. It was Peterborough Technical College that I managed to get a Distinction and 3 Credits, in the courses, winning also two books from the college in recognition of this.

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Later I joined the local builders, E.Bowman and Sons Ltd. as a Trainee Quantity Surveyor. Then after a period as a self employed contractor, I embarked on a career in surveying. I obtained a degree in building Surveying, followed by my Associate membership of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, and Membership of the Chartered Institute of Building, all of which I am proud of. Prior to joining Milton, I was working for Peterborough City Council, as Chief Assistant Surveyor, responsible for a budget of £9.9 million and 36 staff. My final and most rewarding job is working for Milton (Peterborough) Estates Company as Clerk of Works. Here I have been able to use all the skills I have learned over the years, and further skills gained working for Sir Philip, who has a great eye for detailing. One should never stop learning! The work has been so varied, from construction of landing lights on a runway, to getting a dogs grave made, including coffin,carved head-stone, etc.. Helping to conserve and improve the heritage of the Estate for future generations, and feeling part of history has been, and still is, the high point of my working life. It has been like working as part of the “family”, and the generosity of Sir Philip and Lady Isabella has been most appreciated. Family In 1984 my brother Barrie was killed in a motor-cycle accident. This is possibly one of the saddest episode in my life. I managed to organise the funeral arrangements which did help me to keep going, although I still get weepy when I recall the event. The most important thing in my life has been my marriage to Patricia (see photo 5). It was in 1985, at the Oakham Rugby Club, that I met my wife. Her father Keith Sellars had brought her to a Polo Club event, who were using the Rugby Club’s bar facilities etc. where I had volunteered to help out that afternoon. We were married in St. John the Baptist Church at Corby Glen in October 1987. For our honeymoon we went to Greece including a coach trip around the Peloponnese. We saw many of the archaeological sites, including the Oracle at Delphi, Mount Olympus, the Acropolis, many amphitheatres, and many, many other marvellous sites. After our honeymoon we lived in Corby Glen, for nine years, getting to know the locals, making many friends and enjoying all that village life and good neighbours have to offer.

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Photo 5 Patricia has always been the most supportive and loving person that I have ever had the good fortune to meet. She has been my friend, my confidant, my lover and of course my nurse. During my illness with cancer it is her support and nursing skills that has helped me so much. Pat was a widow when I met her, having moved back to Oakham where she was born and from where her parents had emigrated to Canada in 1965. All our children are from Pat’s previous marriage. However, as they were very young at the time I have always considered them my sons and daughters and they have acted as my children, in every sense of the word, ups! and downs! She has also worked very hard to achieve her own career in nursing. In 2002 she started a double Degree course in Health and Safety Management and Occupational Health. This she also passed and in 2006 was accepted as a Chartered Member of The Institute of Occupational Health and Safety. Quite an achievement for someone with children, a home and of course, and most importantly, a husband to look after!

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I have not had the opportunity to develop a close relationship with Pat’s eldest son, Andrew, as he has always lived in Canada. However, we keep in touch with him by telephone, letters and e-mails, and he comes over to visit and we go over there, whenever possible. (see photo 6 )

Our eldest daughter Sandra, has done fantastically well, obtaining a 1st Class Hons. degree in applied biotechnology followed by a Doctorate in Biochemistry. She is a State Registered Clinical Scientist, and works at Great Ormond Street Hospital, as a Cytogeneticist. (see photo 7) She has always been very loving and caring towards me and I could not love her and respect her any more. Like all the children she can be very strong minded and knows exactly what she wants to do and say.

Our youngest son Adam is a computer wiz, and at present is serving with the 40th Artillery Regiment in Iraq. Scary! He has given me many headaches in the past, as sons do, however, I love him greatly and couldn’t be more proud of him. (see photo 8)

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Susan, our youngest has always made me laugh, she is a very intense and sensitive individual who has found her own way in this world. She has presented us with a wonderful grandson called Jordon. He is so bright and active, I am sure he is helping me to fight this cancer. (see photo 9 & 10) The way that Susan has coped with life as a single parent, has been a real achievement. We are full of respect for her and the way she is managing.

Photo 9 Photo10 All in all I have to say that I have been very lucky to have the love of such a wonderful family. Sports Interests I have always been interested in sports, with Rugby being my favourite. This I started at Trinity High School, Northampton in 1964, and I have played up until 2001, when I sustained an injury that took a long time to heal. During that time I played for Oakham for 25 years, and for a time was Club Captain and coach and captain of each of the 4 sides that we ran. (see photos 11 & 12) I also coached the mini-rugby sides. My high point was representing Leicester Barbarians on their 1987 tour of Northumberland. I have made many friends over the years from my rugby days and we enjoyed many a party, and much beer has been consumed over the years, many pubs visited and some, we were kindly asked to vacate the premises due to our colourful singing. My team mates have been fantastic, and the parties and tours we shared are all brilliant memories. I drink a toast to them all.

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Photo 11 Photo 12 Sailing is my next favourite sport. I started out with a “West Wight Potter”, a Gunter rigged 2 berth sailing boat, which I sailed on the Trent River and Rutland Water. (see photo 13) Later I partook of several trips on the tall ship Malcolm Miller, with the Lincolnshire Branch of the Sail Training Association. On one trip we sailed into Weymouth and the Captain asked us to “Dress the Rigging”. (see photo 14) This entailed crew climbing into positions on the rigging, out along the yard, and manning the Crows nest. There was an entertainer with us on this occasion, who took his bagpipe into the crow’s nest. As we entered the Harbour the sound that reflected back from the local properties was magnificent, and being up on the Yard I could see many of the locals coming, to see what was happening and cheering us on.

Photo 13 Photo 14 Photo15 In the evenings I joined an RYA Coastal Skipper / Yacht-Master shore-based theory course, where navigation, weather, seamanship, etc. is all covered. This I passed and find very useful. Since then, my wife and I have been members of the John Lewis Sailing Club, and have sailed many times from Southampton with the club, we have also chartered a 50-foot yacht and sailed with friends in Turkey and Scotland. (see photo 15) A fantastic sport! In 2005 I took up Clay Pigeon shooting, and if my condition would allow it, would be shooting still. This is another sport that I love, and would replace the void left by the

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cessation of the rugby. My wife Pat has taken up the sport at same time as myself, and she has been told she has a “good eye” and certainly can shoot well. I have always been interested in any sports though, including, scuba diving, hockey, skiing, football, cricket, snooker, billiards, gliding, gymnastics, athletics, in fact all things. (see photo 16,17 & 18)

Photo 16 Photo 17

Photo 18 I do hold a full motorcycle licence, and as my sister Pam and my brother in-law Peter were stationed in Holland. I drove over to visit them on my Honda 55 four. What a cracking holiday that was. Marvellous food, windsurfing and much, much more.

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Hobbies I have partaken in many hobbies over the years, but my longest is that of home brewing, of wines and beers. When I was younger and first started brewing, my mother came running to me and said my goat was dead, flat on its back with 4 legs up in the air. On closer inspection I found that the goat was in fact drunk, on the mash that I had given from the a brew of carrot whisky that I had just made. The next day it had a hangover, and tossed our neighbour’s son, who got too close. I have over the years built my own fruit press, worked by a small car bottle jack. I have also make an oak barrel under the supervision of a professional cooper, who I met working at a local public house just outside Mold in North Wales. (see photo 19)

Photo 19

At present we also have a large kitchen vegetable garden, 3 chickens and 2 sheep. The taste of fresh vegetables, eggs and home grown lamb cannot be beaten. All very much the “Good life of Brian” (see photo 20, 21 & 22 )

Photo 20 Photo 21

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Photo22 Life The saddest blow to my life has been the diagnosis of terminal cancer in 2005. I have always considered myself to be fit and healthy. How wrong I was. The thought of what this debilitating illness will do to me and my family has completely changed my focus on what matters in life and what to do with the time that I have left. I was offered an operation to remove the cancerouse kidney and to scrape out my vena cava and heart where the cancer had spread. The odds were not good, however, the only alternative was death so there wasn’t any choice for me! The operation was carried out at Papworth and took eleven hours, heart by-pass. I was in intensive care for several weeks after this and was told that things were worse than expected and could only really look forward to three to twelve months to live. Fifteen months in I have metastatic spread to the bones in my skull, cervical spine, ribs hips and have had palliative radiotherapy, to reduce symptoms and pain. I am now on chemotherapy and although the risk of haemorrhage and blood clots is quite high, I carry on, as again, where there is life there is hope. In December 2006 I was diagnosed with septicaemia and was admitted to Addenbrookes hospital treatment. This took 4 weeks, but I was allowed home for Christmas. During this time I lost the ability to work my upper legs, so was unable to walk without a frame. The Health Care Trust have been very supportive and I appreciate all that has and is being done for me. It is now February and I am just able to again climb stairs and walk un-aided, but still a little unsteadily.

I think the following ditty reflects my attitude to whatever fate throws at us. (see photo 23) http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/_ylt=Au.aXJSpfRGRXA4qqexbemAJGbgF;_ylu=X3oDMTBhNTdnczZhBHNlYwN0cmFja3M Music - Click here for the ditty

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Always look on the bright side of life!

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Frank Gaydon EdwardsClerk of Works

Brian EdwardsBricklyer/Surveyor

Anne StevensHousewife

Arthur JonesTrain Driver

Gwendoline EdwardsHousewife

Mary Alice ButlerHousewife

John SellarsFarmer

Edward Keith SellarsPainter

Florence ConnellHousewife

William Richard HoyUndertaker

Pauline HoyHousewife

Gwendoline BarlowHousewife

Pamela TaitSister

Cheryl BarwellSister

Christine HansonSister

Theresa BaileySister

Barrie EdwardsBrother

David EdwardsBrother

Brian Gaydon Edwards

Paul Sellars

BrotherWendy Stapleton

Sister

Keith SellarsBrother

Mark SellarsBrother

Patricia Anne Edwards Jason SellarsBrother

Sandra EdwardsEldest Daughter

Clinical CytogeneticistGreat Ormond Street

Adam QuackenbushGunner

40th RegimentRoyal Artillery

JordonGrandson

Susan EdwardsYoungest Daughter

Housewife

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