Eulogy: Paul Anthony Worrall – Anthony Paul Harper Friends are always chosen. A best friend is without equal. Notice that HMV have had to close since Paul stopped going at lunchtimes from work? Items that make me think of Paul - Good Beer Guide, A Visitors guide, Train timetable (especially a steam train), Whiskey glass & Whiskey (12 year old single malt!) Cheers. I first met Paul through Janet’s friendship with Carol when they both worked at Wimbush back in the summer of 1977. From what I remember from back then was that Paul was an easy to get along with chap with some similar interests to me and so it was that when Paul and Janet got married we went along to the wedding. Paul worked at the Tax office and I worked at Rover Solihull but I left there at the end of the year and took a twelve month contract in South Africa. I returned to the UK in January 1978 and the four of us picked up where we had left off. Janet and Paul had their first property a maisonette at Langham Close, Sheldon where we went to visit and have a few drinks round at the St Bernard’s Grange. I remember Paul had a picture of either Snow Hill or New Street station in the days of steam, hung above the stairs that led down to the front door. Probably the only place Janet would let him put it! We continued to meet as couples until Paul and I started to meet up on Friday nights with a group of Paul’s friends, Brian, Steve and Clare and Melvyn. So there’s six of us and if we all bought a ‘round’ – simple maths!! “Do you want a last pint” the end of night request would come. “No thanks, I’m driving”! This seemed to set a pattern for Paul and me. There were many nights out sampling beers either at real-ale pubs or beer festivals. Two nights in particular stand out. The first was a night at the Vine (Bull and Bladder), Delph Road, Brierley Hill. A Bathams brewery-tap pub. It was a night when we should have stayed in but the thought of a couple of nice pints was too great a temptation. It was like the end of the world with torrential rain all night. We went in my car, a Damask Red MG MGB GT, and sat one end of the ‘Snug’ – the end closest to the bar – shortly after we had got our first pint a group of blokes came in and sat the other end. So there we were having a beer and chat when a ‘beer-bus’ arrived. In minutes the place was packed with ‘real-ale’ fans with their guidebooks, that only stayed a short time before the whistle was blown and they all trooped out to get back on the bus, leaving a number of untouched pints. One of the blokes from the other end of the ‘snug’ collected up two of the untouched pints and brought them over to us, how decent we both agreed. Anyway we carried on supping and chatting but more and more frequently listening-in to the conversation at the other end of the room. One bloke had a book and was taking bets and giving odds, so Paul and I were trying to figure out what they were betting on. Whippet/greyhound racing, hare coursing or any other sport we might have associated with the Black Country. At the end of the night we went over and thanked them for the beers and asked what they had been discussing – they were organising their annual golf tournament in Portugal! Back to Sheldon along flooded roads looking for a chipie but never found an open one – must have been late. The second night was the Digbeth civic hall beer festival with Jazz band! This night cars stayed at home and we used public transport, sensible. We had a wander around deciding on our choice of ales and got stuck in. We were listening to this jazz band who to be kind, were not very good but could actually play instruments and ‘sup’ at the same time, a remarkable feat of musicianship. We both thought they were somehow magical because as the night progressed they seemed to get better and better. Paul and I regularly reminisced about those two events. Janet and Paul moved just down the road to Rectory Park Road, Sheldon and we were invited over one night after they had been on holiday to Poland. Plenty of good food and drink as was usual and a great night was had by all. I remember this night amongst lots of nights spent in the splendid company of J&P for one particular thing – Polish spirit. I was sure I had smelt it somewhere before; Silverstone, an airport or Cape Canaveral!!!! At the end of the night Janet disappeared and was found shortly afterwards passed out on the bed, so Paul, Carol and me pitched in to clear away, wash and dry and tidy up over a cuppa – an example of Pauls love and consideration for Janet. Carol and I decided to get wed June 1980. Paul came to the stag do at the White Lion, Hampton-in-Arden and after at the Ellora Indian restaurant, Knowle. A memorable night, the fire service arrived at the restaurant because someone had complained that the curry was too hot, and then there was a punch up good enough for a John Ford western. Food, crockery, tables, chairs and bodies all over the place! We were all giving it a good go Paul included, but decided the safety of the pavement outside was a better option. Almost a divorce before the wedding when the bride-to-be saw the groom’s shiner on the morning after. Paul and I also share a love of live music and have spent many hours at venues listening to bands. It was Paul who invited me to go to The Robin, to see a blues guitarist called Ian Parker and a support called Joanne Shaw Taylor, we even took Helen and Claire. We saw Parker three times and Jo’ three times, only once at the Robin. We also saw Roy Wood’s Wizard, Fred Zeppelin and the Counterfeit Stones – lead singer Nick Dagger great nights. There was a lovely day I spent in Paul’s company when the four of us decided to go to London for the Day. Paul and I wanted to go to the War museum (with a guide of course), the girls shopping and luncheon. Great time looking round the museum and we had seen most of it when we decided on a pie and a pint somewhere local. It was also a 5 Nations day England v Scotland. We found a pub (real ale of course) we popped in and only 4 other people were there very quiet. While ordering a drink we asked if they had a TV. The manager asked why so we told him we wanted to watch the match. He disappeared and returned with a portable TV which he put on the end of the bar. We ordered our pie and chips, more drinks and sat on stools watching the match with the others in the pub. It was a great afternoon cheering on England to a fine win. Dr Jonathon Webb having a memorable game. Trouble is drinking and using the underground is knowing where the toilets are!!! Finally, I can’t let Paul go without mentioning Picnics. I don’t remember when we first started doing picnics with the two girls, Oliver and sometimes their friends as well. However, they were always to or by an attraction Steam being most popular. They were grand affairs with tables and chairs, crockery and cutlery, beer, wine, soft drinks, tea and coffee and marvellous food (no ‘sarnies’ or pork pie) prepared by Janet and Carol. This lot had to be transported so had to be packed into and out of cars and back again. Janet was always amazed why Paul couldn’t put things in the car tidily it became a bit of a joke between Paul and me and he would laugh it off in his good humoured way. If the girls decided on an area for the picnic away from the cars it became a logistical nightmare everyone had to carry something even the ‘kids’ and their friends. Paul and I would play it up just a bit feigning an injury or pretending to lose something. If I remember we never had to cancel. I could go on nights at the grand union, Kings Head at Lichfield with the Stinton twins and curry after, dinner parties, moving sheds, constructing wardrobes together, stripping – wall paper that is! Oh and when we had both retired we were going to do route 66 like ‘Easy Rider’ perhaps I’ll do it on my own one day in Paul’s memory. There are loads and loads of stories I could talk about but these little anecdotes are the ones that have kept coming back to me over the last few weeks and are ones that Paul and I reminisced about regularly. Good bye friend