Following on from the earlier thread seeking information on Growler, last week I sent an E Mail
to an address I have made contact with him before.
In responce I have just received the following reply:
>>>>>>>>>>Hi,
I am Graham's sister, sadly he died last September after an operation for bowel cancer.
I know he is sorely missed by a lot of people.
Hilary<<<<<<<<<<<<
What a loss......
I have not disclosed Hillary's E Mail address as I don't want her inundated with hugh numbers of E Mails and subject to the permission of HJ ask that you use this post for any message of condolence. I will E Mail a reference to this post so that she can view.
dvd
|
That is terrible news.
I am sure THe Growler would agree that there is always a certain irony when someone who lived life in the fast lane is taken by the big "C".
His family might appreciate a compilation of his fascinating posts on here.
Regards.
|
|
|
Everything that GRowler wrote was a joy to read. Truely a great loss to many people. I hope Growlette is coping without him.
God bless
Doyle
|
A truly great character and wonderful user of the written word.
My condolences to Growlette and all his family.
--
Alyn Beattie
I\'m sane, it\'s the rest of the world that\'s mad.
|
|
|
|
Thread within a thread - Messages that should be on Growlers headstone
"I told him motorbikes were dangerous - but would he listen?"
------------------------------
TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
|
|
Oh :o( Not a nice Monday morning read.
|
He was one of the wittiest, most entertaining posters on here and he never lost his sense of adventure or fun.
Very sad news and the Back Room, and I am sure many, many other places, are poorer for his loss.
|
His letters from the colonies were always worth reading, as were his other posts.
Was really good to meet him at the Ace Cafe a few years back too, he was certainly as interesting in real life as he was on the boards.
--
I read often, only post occasionally
|
|
|
A great loss to Growlette, who also posted amusing comments about life and motoring, and to the Backroom. We have lost a great character.
|
|
Terrible news. He will be sorely missed.
|
|
|
I always enjoyed his postings for their humour and appreciation of human nature and I'm sure I would have enjoyed his company even more had I met him.
My condolences to his family and close friends.
|
|
Great shame. The world needs people who spark as many smiles as he did.
|
Sad loss, yes he could write very well, but the humour he used as a letter from the phillipines was great. He'll be sadly missed.
|
|
|
That's terrible news indeed, my thoughts are with his family.
He was definitely one of the most interesting posters on this board. He'll be missed.
Blue
|
|
Growler's BR heyday was a bit before my time here, but from what I have read I can see he was a tremendous asset to the site and a much appreciated member of this community. His passing is a cause of much sorrow. I'm sure I speak for everyone here - our sympathies and condolences to all his family and friends.
|
So sorry to hear this. Growler was one of the funniest and intersting posters. I looked forward to his writings.
He'll be sorely missed by all.
Rob
|
While I never took part in discussions with Growler, I did read most of his posts over the last few years. I think we have sadly lost one of those great people who have the ability to inject happiness into the lives of those around them.
|
|
Growler was an original, and he'll indeed be missed. Condolences to his family.
|
|
Saddened to hear of Growler's passing. May he rest in peace.
|
Very sorry to hear of Growlers passing. He had an eye for the humorous and a witty turn of phrase. My condolences to Growlette, to his daughter and the rest of his family.
Growlette - if you are reading this you are always welcome here on the BR.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
For those new members who do not remember him, and as a tribute, I believe that this is his last posting of a letter from....
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?v=e&t=43...2
willl be missed.
--
pmh (was peter)
|
Very sad news.
A man of strong beliefs and principles, with the qualitiy of being able to air those without ever insulting or upsetting anyone.
--
|
Hoped this wouldn't be true, I enjoyed his dry humour and zero tolerance for bull. My sympathies to Catherine.
--
andymc
Vroom, vroom - mmm, doughnuts ...
|
|
|
Sad news indeed.
Growler was around in full flow when I first arrived here, always held his opinions firmly but honestly and without malice, just as a man should.
I never had the privilege of meeting him in person but felt I knew him well through his Letter from the Colonies, always a good read and sure to bring a smile to my face.
His passion for his beloved Hogs was such that only last week at the annual Ace Cafe Shakedown here in Southend as I wandered amongst the thousands of bikes on show I couldn't help but think, ' Growler should be here, he'd love this', I'd like to think that perhaps he was.
My condolences to Growlette and Hilary and all his family.
RIP Growler, you'll be sorely missed.
Cockle
|
|
|
|
I missed the above posting by Growler first time round. Now I've read it, I have to say it is excruciatingly funny, wittily observant and a very informative (if jaundiced, but I'm sure true) view of life in the Philippines. I thought newspapers paid good money for stuff of this quality; did Growler miss his vocation?
A loss indeed.
|
Godspeed Graham, you are sorely missed. And Catherine, if you get a chance to post here we'd all love to hear from you.
Alan
|
Saddened to hear this, his posts were always interesting and he was an asset to the BR. No overstatement to say he will be sadly missed.
My condolences to Growlette and his family and friends
Lee
-- He\'s a cheeky wind-up scamster and he\'s on the radio....
|
|
|
|
|
Sad news indeed, and condolences to his family
Something tells me he would be thinking 'why don't the maudlin so and so's go out and have a cold one for me '
--
Go on, get out of the car...
www.mikes-walks.co.uk
|
|
To a good man. I always enjoyed reading his missives from the Philippines.
|
I wish I was posting under happier circumstances; such terrible news that I wish I hadn't heard to be honest. He was a cracking bloke. Any man that has an original Mustang is alright in my book!
I know it won't mean anything but my thoughts go out to Big G and his family. The BR is a worse place without him.
Adam
|
|
|
|
For years he was without doubt the most entertaining contributor to the Backroom.
He was passionate in his defence of the ?proper? Harley Davidson and BIG V8s and mischievously scathing about high revving Japanese bikes; always without causing offence.
I hope his daughter(still in UK I presume) also gets to read the tributes here.
|
PMH - thanks for that link, which was new to me. The man could have made a living writing light fiction or humour! Brilliantly written, probably 99% true and very amusing tongue in cheek stuff!
|
very very sad news,i shall miss the wonderful posts he made.rest in peace growler.
|
|
|
Very sad loss for everyone who knew him.
I hope no-one minds but here he is in happier times.
groups.msn.com/honestjohn/people.msnw?action=ShowP...7
|
DVD,
Thanks for finding out. I hope if there are any BR 'get togethers' this year, that there's a glass or two raised to him, in memory of his many entertaining posts.
Regards
S6 1SW
|
|
A one-off on these boards and always a tremendous read. Will miss his input greatly.
|
No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friends or of thine own were; any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
Meditation 17
John Donne 1572 ? 1631
|
>>Was really good to meet him at the Ace Cafe a few years back too, he was certainly as interesting in real life as he was on the boards.
I second that.
My thoughts are with his family.
The photos from that meet.
groups.msn.com/honestjohn/acecafebackroommeet25720...w ,
The group
Ah a real bike and Growler
With HJ and a beer
Thoughts about a Vee rod
|
>>Was really good to meet him at the Ace Cafe a few years back too, he was certainly as interesting in real life >>as he was on the boards.
>I second that.
>My thoughts are with his family.
As another of the Ace Cafe attendees, I seconf that also. Such a charactor, in the BR and in conversation.
My condolences to Growlette and his family.
|
|
|
|
Terrible news.
there really isn't any justice at all, is there?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Aw heck.
Go in peace Growler. You will be missed.
Kevin...
|
Just reading the thread tonight and I love Mike's idea of having a cold one for him.
I suspect he'd like the idea, I'm off to the fridge now to have a couple in his memory.
-- He\'s a cheeky wind-up scamster and he\'s on the radio....
|
|
|
I had been reading his posts for sometime until I discovered what a Growler is (a large vessel for containing drink) - very symbolic of his wit!
Another case of only the good die young.
|
|
|
|
Sadly I never met him - maybe only a few of us did - but I do hope that Growlette sees all these generous tributes to a special man.
For those of you who knew him, this is one of the most evocative tributes ever written to a friend: it's a translation by William Cory (1823-92) of a Greek poem by Callimachus.
They told me, Heraclitus, they told me you were dead.
They brought me bitter news to hear and bitter tears to shed.
I wept as I remembered how often you and I
Had tired the sun with talking and sent him down the sky.
And now that thou art lying, my dear old Carian guest,
A handful of grey ashes, long, long ago at rest,
Still are thy pleasant voices, thy nightingales, awake;
For Death, he taketh all away, but them he cannot take.
And it was nice to hear from Adam and good to know he's still looking in.
|
As one of the rice rocketeers so often at the pointed end of his Harley knib, I enjoyed THe Growler's jottings greatly. That I did is proof not only that he had the ability as mentioned to carry home point of view without causing offence, but actually to give pleasure to the receiver in the process. To have spent an afternoon with him in the aforementioned HJ meet at the Ace only enhanced this impression, and whilst I had the temerity to arrive on shiny rice rocket he had the good grace to welcome me as another BRer and member of the riding family. Happy memories of a happy afternoon and a Good Man.
RIP G, and sincere condolences to Growlette and those his departure has left behind.
His old employer DHL deliver on time. Unfortunately his pickup was made too early.
|
|
|
My deepest sympathies to Catherine and the rest of his family. It goes without saying that I am devastated to hear this news.
It is one of life's ironies how the biggest guys make the most people smile, and are missed the most when they go.
I really hoped I would have the pleasure to meet him one day.
Catherine - I would second Alan's comment. Please, when you feel the time is right, let us know that you are OK by either contacting one of the moderators (I'm sure they won't mind) or posting on this forum - I think I speak for all when I say that you are in our thoughts.
Hugo
|
|
|
John Donne also expressed well how this sad happening can affect us all even if we did not know him personally:-
"Each man's death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee. "
--
Phil
|
|
Happens more and more at our age. Bless you Growler and even more those who have to cope without you....
|
Having read the subject of this thread, I truly now know how it feels to have your heart sink. Such sad news.
Absolutely, Growlette, if you want to email and let us know how you're doing, I'd love to hear from you.
|
Sad news - but our fond memories of Growler will live on. I miss his input, but I'm sure he's up there entertaining the angels with pearls of motoring wisdom
RIP fella - thanks for everything
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oh no. I feared this might be the case but hoped he simply had other things on. Godspeed GRowler - thanks for showing me that there's amusement to be found in everything life throws at you.
|
|
Do you folks think it would be worthwhile to have the Letters from the Colonies put up as a sticky or added to the side bar under the Backroom entry? They were too enjoyable not to share with newcomers. I remember one or two long postings from Catherine also which would be worth preserving.
|
Funny how we all feel a clear sense of loss about someone whom we never met face to face. But we do, we surely do. Says something about the guy ...
Oz (as was)
|
|
|
|
Growler's vignettes gave an extraordinary and amusing insight to another world. I particularly remember his tale of taking a boy to obtain his driving licence and being thankful that procedures in the UK were rather stricter! May he rest in peace.
|
Devastating news, he wll be sadly missed. My best wishes to Growlette and his family.
Godfrey H
|
Sad news, indeed, kindest regards to Growlette.
This is something I hadn't even considered, when I first started internetting - that the friends we make are 'real' people, too & come with the unpleasentness of real life.
On another forum I visit, a lady there has just had a threat from the big C - I'm with others again wishing for a good result at her hospital treatment.
& again, I'll probably never meet the lady, for real.
This cyberspace may be a huge place - but still very, very small.
VB
|
What dreadful news to hear about the most entertaining and fascinating poster we have ever had on this site.
I think we were all beginning to expect the worst but it still comes as a blow to all of us even though as others have said most of us had never met the man.
I always said I would be the first in line to buy his book if he ever wrote one. His stories of travelling across the middle east in his younger days in some clapped out motor with his mates were some of his best ones I remember.
RIP Growler you had even more friends and admirers than you ever realised.
wemyss
|
|
|
|
"Letters from the Colonies"
IIRC, HJ tried to get the Telegraph to publish them a while back. Worth another try, perhaps?
Failing that, I'd be happy to turn them into a PDF if there aren't any copyright issues...
|
|
|
|
|
I second everything said above. Meeting him at the Ace was a rare privilege - he was one of a kind. I feel he would agree with Willie Rushton, who said that the word he wanted on his gravestone was 'discontinued'.
I do hope Growlette's OK.
|
Just an update.
In my am mail:
>>>>>>>Thanks so much for sending me the link to the forum, I really appreciate it, it's such a comfort to hear such lovely things said about him.
Hilary
<<<<<<<<
dvd
|
Sadly I never met the gent, but thoroughly enjoyed his postings.
I am sure he would have made an excellent 'Honorary Yorkshireman' albeit a 'country member'.
A great loss to the BR.
|
The letter linked to earlier on in this thread is very entertaining and clearly worth publishing ...
The idea of an easy link to the 'collected works' makes sense if they are as good as the one I read.
|
|
|
|
That's really sad news.
He was someone with whom I initially disagreed strongly (though I never felt confident enough to engage him in argument, which must say something!). As time passed I came to respect his views on the various topics discussed here and the way he expressed them. I was richly entertained by the postings about life in the Phillipines and always thought that they were the tip of a sizeable iceberg of stories and experiences that would be brilliant to hear.
As HJ said, he lived *his* life and there's plenty of people who will have been enriched by encountering him, either in real life or virtually.
RIP.
--
Soupytwist !
|
|
|
What such sad news and a great loss.
May I offer my condolences to his family.
He will be missed.
Autumnboy
|
|
|
|
What sad news indeed. I had some great chats with him via email a few years back - I found him a very diverse and extremely warm and open guy. Graham wrote better and more amusing prose than many a journalist (for several Harley forums, as well as here) - and had led a life most of us can only envy. The world has lost one of its great characters...
|
I am late on the sad scene and I will not rehash the things that have already been so well said above.
I particularly sympathise with Growler's family, having just lost my beloved wife to cancer. My wife would have been in much more pain but for devoted care by the doctors and particularly nurses, and I hope it was so for Growler.
Ave atque vale, Growler.
|
|
|
|
I only just noticed this thread :(
Funnily enough, Growler was the first name I thought of after being away from the forums for a while and on returning I wondered if he was still around. I still remember him discussing getting that Mustang back up and running and dragging along the airstrip, and his bemusement at how Growlette couldn't appreciate a car with seats that stuck to you in the heat, and that constantly reeked of petrol :) He was a genuine character and a half and I enjoyed reading all of his posts. I'm truly sorry for Growlette and family's loss.
|
|
|
