A Service of Thanksgiving at St. Columba Parish Church on Friday was full of love and admiration. People from all arts and parts gathered but mainly the congregation was made up of Walter Love’s colleagues from BBC. It was the measure of the man that this was a happy thanksgiving and we all hung around afterwards to talk about this lovely man,
I was more fortunate than most, I knew Walter Love for over 60 years, I was going out with his best friend and so entered the charmed circle of this remarkable man’s life.
We had some adventures, we shared a love of jazz although his love was much deeper and more appreciative than mine. He knew Chris Barber and Ottilie Patterson and that was enough for me.
I remember asking him if he was jealous of me having met Louis Armstrong? He was smug! “Well I’ve been in his house in New York and his third wife Lucille took me round and it’s exactly as it was, I walked up the same steep staircase and held onto the same stair rail he held on to. But yes I would like to have met him.” Walter made programmes from that house and they painted a perfect picture of Satchmo, I felt he knew the man much better than I ever did.
Love by name and love by nature, it’s a rare compliment but the fact is no one ever said a bad word about Walter. He was gentle yet incisive, he was hilarious yet had an air of gravitas when appropriate. He was a member of the Irish Radio Awards Hall of Fame, an MBE and to celebrate 60 years in broadcasting the BBC gave him the Ulster Hall and the Ulster Ochestra for one night. He was to choose the menu for the evening and what a n emotional celebration of his musical interests – from childhood memories to his jazz appreciation, from Schwanda the Bagpiper to the Czech born composer Jaromir Weinberger. It was a musical education and a measure of Walter’s vast knowledge. He was the same with wine, a showman who liked to delight but who knew his business inside and out.
I joined Walter on his programme Day by Day answering listener’s questions. I always held my breath because you never knew what to expect from this ace joker, he was known for his sense of mischief. One day he asked me what I was leading with. I told him a woman in Bangor was looking for my advice about the trials of having one breast bigger than the other. He seemed nonplussed. “What are you going to say?” “Buy two bras different cup sizes cut them in half and sow them together.” “I don’t think that’s suitable for my programme”. What! “That’s why I’m here and that woman is waiting for me to speak to her.” Anyway he still protested before going down into the studio and when I joined him, again he asked me not to read the letter. I was a bit cross by this time and asked him why on earth not. “Give me one good reason why not.” He looked at me and admitted – “Because I wrote that letter.” Despite his practical joke I read the letter anyway!
I learned so much about broadcasting from this consummate professional and went on into a career both on radio and television. We became quite famous as a couple when the Errigal Inn asked us to have a photo taken having a meal so they could put it on thousands of match boxes as a publicity stunt. I’m glad I still have one to remember that day when we laughed at being a couple out for a good meal.
When his beloved wife Mary died, as he drove home from the hospital he told me: “She died at 2.25 in the morning. Later, driving home towards Downpatrick, a lovely June morning with the sun coming up and the sky a beautiful pale blue, I thought, never forget the past, accept that life goes on and this is a new day.”
Mary was an art teacher and one day he discovered her water colour paints and began to experiment. “I started to observe, to see light and shade, I loved it. My paintings may not please everyone but they please me.” And Mary would have been proud of him. Each Christmas I looked forward to his card which always featured one of his paintings.
Without doubt Walter Love has left a legacy which will live on in all those who knew and loved him.
SMILE WHAT’S THE USE OF CRYING
I watched the ‘great’ day for Northern Ireland most of yesterday. Two things struck me, the reporting by a man called Lewis in a crumpled open necked shirt, body warmer and jacket looking tughery when our own reporters were smartly dressed for this ‘historic’ event and how the flyins from over there were so over-the-top in their excitement about our blooming future. Compare that with the sensible assessment by those who know the fragility of the coming months. The other thing was the faces in the chamber, upside down smiles and little tight lips for a lot of them. Being back in Stormont was what we wanted, so relax and enjoy the challenge and give us a vision of friendship and positivity. All praise to those who are determined to get this country back on the road, may the mountains they have to climb prove to be only hills.
Positive Thinking
When I think of the Corona virus I think of a slimy octopus with multiple tentacles stretching into every area of life. Over those three plus years and since we were all affected in some way or another and the thought is there’ll be another octopus along sometime in the future. So it’s important to examine what has gone before and the likely legacy. That requires research, talking to people who have experienced direct or indirect effects, making comparisons and collating the results.
That’s just what is being done through a Queens University survey specifically featuring breast cancer and if you have had such a diagnosis, especially in the last four years, you are asked to make contact and so build up a picture for women and men in the future. Men? Yes. Men too have breast tissue and although it’s rare, before the age of 75 it will be one in 1349, after that one in 714 – so boys, it’s important to check your breasts just in case you are one of that low percentage.
One man who responded advised, “Don’t be embarrassed to come forward but do you have to use pink on all literature!”
Statistics show one in 10 women will have this diagnosis before they are 75 and one in eight by age 85. I know personally how frightening this is but I also know the advances in detection and treatment since my experience 24 years ago. So even I am a candidate for the survey. I remember the breast care nurse telling me even if I got a pain in my left ear lob I’d think it was cancer and it wouldn’t be! She was right. We were sitting on the bed in the City Hospital and she was asking me if I wanted to her to take the dressing off my wound, I told her I’d already done it. “What was your reaction?” She asked . “I was horrified when I looked down and saw how many tummies I had!” We’d a good laugh and it broke the tension and allowed me to talk about my feelings. And that’s what this survey is looking for – experiences and reactions.
What A Privilege
Thanks to the Internet researchers have been able to invite cooperation from around the world and although they only launched their international research in September they’ve had a good response including from the United States. Please consider responding now as the survey which is coming towards its conclusion..
Based in Queen’s Mulhouse building at the Royal Victoria Hospital a team of 20 working in the NI Cancer Registry (NICR) are collating information on all cancers but for this study a dedicated team are examining breast cancer and they are appealing especially to those who have experienced the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and how it has affected breast cancer services. Dr. Damien Bennett NICR director: “Although we don’t know the full impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on cancer services and patients, we know that treatment and screenings were disrupted.” Principal investigator for the audit Professor Anna Gavin added that the survey will enable the team to build an accurate and detailed picture. “By harnessing the voices of breast cancer patients we can learn from their experiences and help improve cancer services and care both now and in the future.”
This research, which is funded by Breast Cancer Now in partnership with the Centre of Public Health at Queen’s, winds up at the end of February so if you can help with your own information, in total confidence, please get in touch. Sitting with members of the team convinced me that this is a vitally important piece of work which is designed to help men and women today but even more important our children in the future. For them alone I believe it’s essential that we offer our cooperation.
How Was It For You?
Breast Cancer patient Orlagh O’Neill discussing the survey with Dr Damien Bennett, NICR Director.
The survey will provide individual perspectives and personal experience of people diagnosed before, during and after COVID-19. Researchers will assess the number and impact of breast cancer patients who were admitted to hospital with Covid-19, the importance of face-to-face meetings when giving a diagnosis, how zoom and telephone contacts worked, best practice for vulnerable people or those with sight impairment or hearing difficulties; the administration of treatment such as radiotherapy perhaps resulting a change in dosage and the number of treatments to avoid attending hospital and the fact that reconstruction operations were paused; how diagnosis impinged on relationships, the fear and anxiously experienced and the feeling of isolation if you choose not to confide in family or friends.
WHAT WILL YOU BE ASKED TO DO? Answer questions via an on-line survey about your experience with cancer treatment. It’s easy.
smartsurvey.co.uk/s/BreastCancerCOVID
Local shop, young man parks his motor bike in the centre of a disabled driver’s parking space. As he came out I said to him I thought it was rather selfish to stop someone else needing the space. I got a real mouthful! I said I didn’t think it was necessary to attack me in such a way and explained why people with mobility issues need space to park and get out of their car. He looked so sad and explained he had a lot on his mind. He apologised for his language and asked my forgiveness which I gave immediately. We talked, he was lovely and promised he wouldn’t do it again but would park to one side to allow plenty of space for a car. We shook hands and left as friends. I admire him for being able to face and discuss the situation. As I waved him off I met a friend who had witnessed the whole episode. As we talked another car pulled into the space, no blue badge. My friend said to the driver – “This is for drivers with a disability mate.” Well, this grown man just let fly with his language telling us to mind our own business and what he thought of us which wasn’t very pretty. Anger management comes to mind.
