It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in my career. I am not going to turn down that chance again! As a new chapter dawns into my life I am met with an uneasy air of uncertainty. As I board the plane yet I am full of excitement and trepidation. But I should be, why not? At times, life is like a crystal maze. Each turn places you on the edge of your life. It’s a continual game with twists and turns. You hope to end up in the right place. You hope it will be at the right time, that’s the key to the end game.
I am playing this game now for over 27 years, are the cards now finally dealt for one more time?
So where do I turn now? Do I go left or right? Should I just keep on the well-trodden and worn path? How did I end here in this crossroad of life?
I have never visited to this seemingly land of riches and gold sands, they call it Dubai. The wealth beckons as far as you can see, pray your eye will give you the grace to see. Or so I’m told.
Its October 2024, I am already 2 weeks late, but I am on my way…I have to be, for once in my life, excited don’t I? You bet I am…
On the night of 5th of March 2023, my personal health life once again changed. Overnight my body decided to give me another surprise, it gave me a stroke. I haven’t even finished my “Bionic Body” book but the gods decided to throw my brain into the mix! Now had yet again, a massive challenge and hurdle to overcome. Talk about rise to the challenge, someone out there surely it testing me to the limit!
It was a normal Saturday, I had been out with my mates. As always, after a few beers too many, I went home and grabbed something to eat from the fridge. I now recall there was a pie in the fridge. I remember seeing the plates in the sink in the morning. That’s as far as my memory would tax me at the time. I went to bed in a decent mood, it had been great fun.
I woke up I remember thinking “Am I still pissed?” I remembering thinking, ‘I can’t be!’. I went back to bed just in case. This time when I woke up I started to think that my arms were weird. I looked at them and thought “why have I got three arms”? I kept looking om the bed and couldn’t make it out!
I remember boss, Wayne, then was calling me and I remember him saying your piss “I’ll speak to you later”! I had no idea what was he talking out. It turned out that it was me was the one who had no idea what I was saying!
My recollection of this morning in March now I have to say is very sketchy to say the least. I knew it wasn’t good that’s for sure. My Dad came into the bedroom while I was in a haze. (We have family house keys.) He asked why I wasn’t up and ready. My dad said “come on, we are going to be late, Mum will be wondering where we are”. I said “Dad, I have no idea what you are talking about”. Dad was as confused as I was. He had to try and explain that we were going to the hospital in Cambridge. We had been visiting Mum there. They had both been in a car crash around 6 weeks before and were lucky to survive. I’m really not sure what happened after that. I believe maybe Dad rang my brother. I know that soon after, my mate Danny Rumens turned up at the house. Danny phoned for an ambulance, he knew straight away what had happened.
Dave Note 1
I have decided to publish things as I go along, finished, unfinished indifferent, whatever. I spend too much time thinking I will go back to things and nothing gets done. So, this is one of these articles. I hope, as I health (brain) gets better to add and finished my rambles as and when. Thanks for your patience!
The note above was written on the 2nd May 2024. I felt well enough to try and start writing again and edited this on 31st Oct 2024. Sadly, the original notes are overwritten. Trust me, the 6 months has made a massive difference. Thanks for all the support on my journey. Now I am only just getting started, there is plenty more to come!
What great name for a pub! If pubs, remember them, are ever making a come back, that’s the name for my pub!
The reason I thought of that is because a great friend of mine lent me a pen. Then they told me to keep it. There is no way better than preserve your memories in ink right? The rock, well… Have you ever been on the beach or on a walk and picked up a pebble? Then you look at it and wonder how long it has been there, perhaps for years?
I picked up a nice looking stone (I prefer to say a pebble) and liked the colours. It was all smooth with a great texture so I kept it, as simple as that!
It reminded me of the beach in a different way. I thought of the day, the sunset, and the warmth. I have fell in love with the whole Ibiza vibe. Ibiza people will understand, others won’t.
The Rock and the Pen will stand the test of time. I also just think its a great title for something! My pub!
I returned this October 2022 from this season’s mental summer in Ibiza. Just then, my good friend Roberto Campoli released this week’s podcast. It is from his show, Ibiza Amigo’s. I was honoured to have been invited on as a guest. Here are the results. I would love to know what you all think!
I wrote this article on June 29, 2013, in tribute to my mate Peter Morris whom I miss dearly, the man was a talented genius and really nice guy.
They say we all have one in us…..everyday I think of countless things to write about and never get to write them down. Remember a few months ago? I started this blog thingy, well I only just remembered I had it and so we try again. Today is a real sad day for me. I´m seriously not the best at this emotion lark and the slightest hint and I reach for the tissues.. A close friend of mine succumbed last night to the scourge that is Cancer. Like many others I will never understand life, maybe one day we will all find out, I just know we have to enjoy what we have while it lasts. So why is it, they always take the good ones? Or at least seem to. My friend Pete was one of the kindest men I ever had the honour to be friends with. Pete was super talented, intelligent and great company. He would help anyone when he could and his artistic talents will never be recognised, much to the public’s loss. Pete could paint a scene with the best of them that’s for sure. We worked together in our field putting together bars around Europe and we had some great times, we got to meet some great people and we also had some great rows! If anyone visits a Linekers Bar around the world be sure to know that Pete Morris played a big part in this company and you will for sure, be looking at some of Pete´s designs or handiwork. Spare a thought as I will everyday when I go to work. I mentioned Pete was talented, well that’s an understatement really. He used to build his own cars when he was younger, yes build his own cars and he ended up building his own boat”Dreamaway” in his back garden. To give you some idea it has got 2 Rolls Royce engines to power it, I´m told it´s 52 long. It made county news when Pete finally finished and had to get it airlifted out of the back garden and onto the low loader to take to the docks. Pete sailed her to Spain where he lived happily from port to port with wife Margaret. In Tenerife we used to have these TV´s, the old ones on top of a bar we wheeled in and out everyday onto the terrace selling beers. Almost every night it toppled over and nearly crippled someone with the weight of the TV´s. (Now a days we have plasma so this wouldn’t happen) Pete proceeded to build a new bar. When he wheeled it out the TV´s were on the bar surface and everyone thought WTF has he done. In position, Pete plugged it in and pressed a button. Up went the TV´s on hydraulics and were firmly in place. At the end of the night, press the button and down they came. No one had a near death experience with the outside bar after that! It may sound simple but it was a stroke of genius at the time. Pete was a very very talented man, of that you can be sure.
Pete used to run the teams of builders we had in the bars when we built a new one or carried out a refurbishment, and despite his demeanor he could be quite ruthless when it came to his baby projects. I wasn’t there all the time but used to visit to give the boss progress reports and carry out admin tasks and the like. One time in Cala Dór I went out with four of the builders and I´ll admit it now but I did get Moose in a bit of state at the karaoke bar the night before. When I strolled down the bar at midday Pete let a volley of abuse come my way as his workers were not performing and Moose couldn’t lift a hammer to save his life. I protested weakly that it wasn’t my fault but I soon skulked off while I could. We all had dinner that night and Pete had his glass of Whisky that he loved. We were soon back to normal.. I told Moose to piss off until the work was all finished!
I had many a chat with Pete when and where I could, despite the distances we spoke a fair bit on the phone and we would always put the company to rights, of course we know best whats best for the family, it´s what you do isn’t it? Whenever I had a problem and felt like talking I could always rely on Pete to be there and would email him or call. I used to help Pete with his computer over the phone and it was frustrating explaining cut and paste to a man who built his own boat in his back garden! In fairness we loved a good moan up and always felt better when we came off the phone.
Peter Roger Morris R.I.P Dreamaway xxx
TBH this blog title doesn’t have much to do about writing a book but it was the only way I was going to write about Pete without water damaging my keyboard, apologies for that, but glad to give you a little insight into the great talent PRM x Thanks for reading.
Football Matches My first ever professional match was Arsenal v Sunderland in the 1976/77 season. It was the 5th February and was 0-0 draw. I wondered what all the fuss was about. I’m still going to football matches 44 years later.
Birthdays My first ever birthday 19th August 1962, what a momentous occasion! In 1972 I was 10 and Britain joined the European Community. We all know what’s happened since. At 20 we had the Falklands War. At 30 years old John Major was the British PM. What a grey time that was. In 2002 when I was 40 there was a SARS outbreak, I don’t recall any lock downs, do you? At 50 I didn’t celebrate my birthday, my Mum wasn’t well in Hospital and I spent the weekend with her in the ward. It was cool! At the time of writing I am 60 next year! What you gonna get me! I fancy Miami but I’m not too fussed, I just hope to make it there!
Concerts My first ever concert was at the Hammersmith Odeon in London, now renamed the Hammersmith Apollo. I went to see Gary Numan with Tubeway Army and was mesmerised, it was awesome! Seen quite a few acts since then over the years, hard to say which has been the best. I’ll have a think about it.
Holidays I have been lucky enough to travel to many places around the world and with hand on heart I can say I genuinely enjoy everywhere I go. I love the life travel experience. My best? Maldives was special but I really love sightseeing and stuff like that. I loved New York and Toronto. And the worst? I can’t see me ever going back to Turkey if I’m honest.
Cars My first ever car was a bright yellow 2 door Ford Cortina Mk 4. I saved up and it cost me £1100 a lot of money in those days. (Around 1981). YMS647R. It wasn’t money well spent, I always believe you actually start learning to drive once you have passed your test. It soon had too many bumps and bruises. I went through a series of “run-around” cars over the years until I arrived at todays E Class Mercedes. My favourite cars over the years though have always been the 3 mini’s I’ve had. Love them!
Jobs Well again I’ve had a few. I really wasted my early years if I think back on it. But we cant turn back the clock, I’ve had a great time. I worked in a Metal works yard, probably the worst job ever, a slaughterhouse, which was actually good fun and I’ve been a Salesman, Driver and Postman. I loved the post office and still have many affectionate memories from my days there in London’s Mount Pleasant. It was after my heart operation in 1997 that I finally woke up and realised I needed to do something with my working life or was going nowhere. Not exactly sure where I am now but the last 24 years as a Personal Assistant has been one helluva rollercoaster ride!
Experiences
If you are gonna write a blog and or lifestyle web site you have to include everything, right? So here’s a few of my experiences, I’ll be sure to elaborate on them all at some point.
Bungee Jumping, Flying Machines, Heart Operation, On Her Majesty’s Service and On the Square.
I last edited this article on my old site on 10th October 2021. I made the 60!
Tuesday 16th July for me now will always be Pete´s Day. I don´t like whiskey, in fact just the smell of it makes me heave, but I´ll look at a bottle now on this day and think of my mate, our mate Pete Morris. 16th July, the day we said goodbye to a true gent and genius. In 2013 the UK was covered in wall to wall sunshine with temperatures soaring. It was more than a two day Summer. Traffic oddly was good and the journey from Essex to Leicestershire took just under 2 hours.
We were first to arrive in the quaint village of Narborough, Pete´s spiritual home. Having found the church, neatly tucked away off the High Street, tea and poached eggs on toast from the little village cafe settled the stomach. The service was at 11-00am and slowly people starting arriving. The church was splendid and one day I´ll revisit and have a proper look around. No doubt I´ll have another chat with Pete and tell him how it all went. The place reminded me of the church in the film Hot Fuzz, although it wasn’t quite as big. Being part of the Lineker family, there was a security guard hovering around, although I sincerely don’t know why. Yes Gary was there with the family but there was more than enough weight around to see off any unwanted onlookers, and to be honest, it just wasn’t like that. The church also reminded me of the magnificent one in Waltham Abbey on a smaller scale.
Sailing was playing as we entered and took our places. As services go it was as pleasant as can be, the vicar was great and Wayne Lineker produced a fantastic speech about Pete´s life that was both sad and funny but made everyone smile. It was a fitting tribute for sure. Myself, I worked hard to keep my emotions in check as I have done on many an occasion such as this. The odd thing was I was smiling most of the time as the sense of occasion for me wasn’t like any other. I tend to cringe when Vicars, Priests whatever start to preach about marching into heaven and going to a better place and stuff like that. I´m there to pay my respects of course but in all honesty I don’t wanna hear that stuff, I want my friends here! Anyway I´m probably not explaining that very well so I´ll move on. This guy today was good and so refreshing. Songs sung and prayers said, everyone filed out gracefully and that was my biggest moment. I was last to leave and they were playing Sailing again. As I turned round I saw a montage of photos on canvas of Pete. Cue the tissues. The Loros* plate done good that day.
I had to drive like Hamilton to keep up with the cortege to find the crematorium, Gilroes, which was splendid in the sunshine. The committal was pretty brief, as they are. Myself and Mark Noble noticed the shelf around the outside and said it would have been a great touch if whiskey shots were placed around the outside for everyone. Sorry Pete, I still wouldn’t have drunk it! Abide with me always put a lump in the throat and this was no different. It was back to Narborough and the Dovecot Pub for the wake.
At the pub it was like a mini reunion as the solemn mood changed and the memories came flooding back. Stories of bar building, bar boozing and bar crawling came out as the Linekers lads all put their two pennies in. Everything and everywhere from Puerto Banus to Cyprus and back was discussed, even Pete´s dodgy knee! Each person had their own story to tell and the time flew by. I read reviews about the pub elsewhere as well and they were non too complimentary but everything was fine today, the Fosters was cool as you like and going down far too easy. Moose and I were starting to re enact the past and I remembered the car outside. There´s something about talking about the past and here was a great bunch of people talking about it. I paused for a moment and said “the one person who should be here with us talking about all this is not here” Everyone smiled and we raised our glasses once more for Pete.
Tuesday 16th July 2013, the day we said goodbye to Pete
*LOROS The fantastic hospice in Leicester that looked after Pete in his final days
Photo : Dean Howsam, Lee Brown, John Hughes, Paul Bowcock, Dave Hodges, Wayne Lineker, Duane Lineker, Mark Noble, John Hughes Snr, Neal Joyce
