Keeping an eye on the living
Written by John Macpherson
Going out in style / John MacPherson
My old school mate Frank was one of life’s enthusiasts. Despite congenital heart problems and major heart surgery in his early years, he never let it impede his life.
His passion was motorcycling, and he would blat off to places like Le Mans, the Bol d’Or, or wherever took his fancy on various of his bikes which included over the years a couple of Laverda Jotas (still my fave sounding bike of all time), or the Ducatis he preferred as he got older. But unfortunately he didn’t get to be too old before his heart finally gave up. But my my did he give it a work out whilst it still ticked. The 600 mile ride from the Scottish Highlands to the Channel Ferry port in Dover was simply the opening leg of what usually turned out to be epic trips, often taking in several European countries.
We had a good send off for him. And his helmet went with him for the final ride (that’s it on the end of his coffin). I thought this was a particularly lovely moment: as I shared some quiet time with a family friend and Frank, a burst of laughter from some of Frank’s mates sat outside, who were telling stories of biking adventures they’d shared with him, caught our attention.
These little moments, at times like these, really matter. We should record more of them. And cherish them.
Author — John Macpherson
John MacPherson was born and lives in the Scottish Highlands. He trained as a welder in the Glasgow shipyards, before completing an apprenticeship as a carpenter, and then qualified as a Social Worker in Disability Services. Along the way he has cooked on canal barges, trained as an Alpine Ski Leader & worked as an Instructor for Skiers with disabilities, been a canoe instructor, and tutor of night classes in carpentry, stained glass design and manufacture, and archery. He has travelled extensively on various continents, undertaking solo trips by bicycle, or motorcycle. He has had narrow escapes from an ambush by terrorists, been hit by lightning, caught in an erupting volcano, trapped in a mobile home by a tornado, kidnapped by a dog's hairdresser, rammed by a basking shark and was once bitten by a wild otter. He has combined all this with professional photography, which he has practised for over 35 years. He teaches photography and acts as a photography guide & tutor in the UK and abroad. His biggest challenge is keeping his 30 year old Land Rover 110 on the road. He loves telling and hearing stories.