The Ballad of Blackpool John

[timebug]

In the past, comment has been made about the nicknames of some of my elderly associates. Big Mac and Owd Geoff feature strongly in the posts I have made,as they are the two oldest and longest surviving friends of mine. Another, who I actually got to know via my son, is Blackpool John.
Well we discovered today, after a week of frustrating phone calls to the Hospital he had been admitted to, that he had passed away last Monday night.
Everyone who knew John had time for him; a rough diamond with a sometimes violent past, who had served lengthy prison time for his lapses, he was a kindly bloke at heart, with a nice nature beneath all the surface macho bullshit.He suffered for many years from Emphysema and had chronic breathing problems on and off.
An alcoholic who had not touched a drop for many years, he was admitted to hospital ten days ago with kidney failure. Myself and my son and his partner had all phoned to ask after him, and had basically been given the NHS runaround. Yes, I know we are in a global pandemic, but there was something almost secretive about the staff we individually spoke to,as though reluctant to even admit he was in there! So today, as they would not give any information to 'friends' my sons partner called and said she was his Neice. We then got the sad news. She is not his neice,nor any relation, although he always treated her as the daughter he never had. He was from Blackpool, hence the nickname to distinguish him from a bunch of 'John's' we know; and he was the third husband of Jennifer Moss, who any elderly Coronation Street viewers may remember as 'Lucille Hewitt' in the early (mostly black and white) days of the programme.A bird fancier, and keeper of many Canaries and Budgies over the years, he loved nature and was a keen angler.
His proudest achievement and one which I admired, was that he went to Prison as an illiterate,and came out as an avid reader! Sleep in peace old friend and 'may your God go with you' as Dave Allen would have put it.
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[Elderly Sumo Prophecy]

Yeah, but how big was his willy?

[timebug]

Prey cease, or I may break a rib with laughter!

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Sounds like he did well to claw it back from Blackpool Violence John to just Blackpool John. Glad to read that, like birds, he despised all fish.

[Small Man Big Horse]

Very sorry to hear this timebug, but at least it sounds like he lived an unusual life and that he was much loved by many.

[Mr_Simnock]

I can't really comment on this till I know who he played in any of the harry potter films

[Butchers Blind]

Blackpool John seems a bit of lazy nickname.

[non capisco]

Sorry to hear of the loss of your friend, timebug. Hope you're doing OK.

[Bernice]

RIP Blackpool John. Hope you and yours are able to get together and reminisce, timebug. Emphysema is a tough way to go; I should really knock off the cigs.

[Elderly Sumo Prophecy]

Blackpool John seems a bit of lazy nickname.

I'd have called him Rocky.

[timebug]

I was introduced to him as 'Blackpool John' simply on the grounds that our family and friends knew (I am not kidding!) no less than eight other Johns,and the name was given him to distinguish him among the crowd!