Gresham Family Funeral

I hope you don't mind, but I have taken it upon myself to construct a wreath for tomorrow's funeral of Gresh & Sara’s four little angels on behalf of you all. After naming each of the four children individually, it reads:-

In loving memory –

on behalf of the

Officials and Entrants

of Landy Rally 2007

The reason I constructed it myself? Cost (I’m fully aware many of you would have contributed towards a professionally-made tribute, but time constraints made this impossible to implement), time (my own fault for not looking into it sooner) but the over-riding factor was that for me, the fact I wanted this to be a personal tribute as well.

I trust you’ll approve when you see it. Rest assured it looks suitably fitting for such a tragic occasion. I promise you hand on heart, it will represent all the teams with dignity and reverence.

Unfortunately, although Technology Tom can take a photo with his digital camera, downloading it to his PC and placing it on the forum are a couple of steps too far. Doubtless Badger will steer me in the right direction when we meet next week. I’ll post it thereafter.

I’m sure you already know, but just in case …

Funeral arrangements can be found at www.lrboards.com Top of page of Off Topic Chat

Gresham Family Fund is at www.greshamfamilyfund.co.uk

As you know, Team Sparks Will Fly and Team Camel Adventures had always intended to pool any Landy Rally cash prizes for their collective charities, but upon hearing about the Gresham family tragedy they immediately donated 1/3 of their winnings to the Gresham Family Fund. FIRST CLASS CALL SPARKS & CAMEL – FIRST CLASS!

Thanks for organising that Tom. Our thoughts will be with the family during the funeral tomorrow.

Lu :bom:

Thanks Tom!

WELL DONE ON TOM!

thankyou on behalf of all of our team!

Tom - you're hopelessly disorganised and skint, but you've a heart of gold and your wreath will contain more love, good wishes and thoughts than any pre-ordered, commercial creation could ever have. Well done.

Rafe

Well done Tom Andy

Tom / Rafe:

Reading those two posts first thing this morning saddened me deeply. I cannot begin to imagine how Gresh and Sara will be feeling today.

It also made me appreciate the new friends Ive made leading upto and through the LandyRally - that I feel is something to behold.


On a brighter note... I know your a man Tom (thinking about it, technically I dont!) but you are allowed to sneak a look at the Camera's destruction manual for pointers of how to get those pesky pictures out. Personally I like to connect the cable, hold the camera above my head, give it a slight shake and watch the pictures run out of the other end of the cable, just make sure the PC is underneath to catch them

Thank you, Tom.

My thoughts are with Gres and his family on this very sad day.

Laura



Dr. Evil
---------

Tom,
Having gone of the road into a water filled dyke in lincolnshire with my wife and kids in the car some years ago. I can up to a point understand. Please give the Gresham family my love and wishes. Please also convey this from the 450 members of the Suffolk Land Rover Owners Club. I am only sorry i could not make it.

God Bless

Tony

Well done Tom!

I will of couse help in the ways that i can.

I cannot begin to imagine what they are going through but the site of 100+ landrovers lining the route as a guard of honour will be very special

Well, back now and I have to tell you it was both moving and joyous. To see four white coffins was horrendous, to see the support of the Gresham’s local community and the Land Rover family in particular was amazing. Forming a Guard of Honour, I would estimate 130 Land Rovers made a fitting spectacle. We all felt proud, Gresh & his family would have been delighted but I reckon not altogether surprised … the Land Rover community is indeed ‘special’.

Thanks one and all for your comments/actions regarding the funeral whether here within the forum or via the phone. Impossible for everyone to attend, be assured you were all there in spirit. Fred and myself represented the Officials and Entrants of Landy Rally 2007 with Tango 1 and my Rangie (Steve of ShortWayRound having to report to work for the ambulance service is some sort of government ‘special exercise’ – no, he didn’t know why either). Mine was a 600 mile-round trip (don't ask) which lasted from 6am Friday morning to 3am Saturday ... no wonder I'm feeling a wee bit tired today. Made the stages in Europe seem exceedingly easy!

Of what it appeared, ITV, BBC and Sky reported on the funeral before and after the church service, while LRM and LRO were on hand respectfully covering the funeral for the magazines. Far from being annoyed, Gresh will be comforted to know his children’s tragic ‘send off’ will have been recorded for posterity. The church service itself was, rather than being a morbid affair, a celebration of the kid's life featuring their favourite chart music and songs. Again, Gresh and Sara felt this was the best approach, and I for one agree 100%. The time for grief would doubtless surface later afterwards at the crematorium, this being for close friends and family. Although invited, both myself and Fred respectively declined to let the assembled grieve in private.

Sorry Tony, you’ll have to pass on yours and Suffolk Land Rover Club’s condolences as I only managed to catch Gresh’s eye on one occasion, this being but a nod to each other as the funeral cortège passed by after the church service. This one gesture was equivalent to a thousand words and brought a tear to my eye.

And Jon, even I would cast my eye at the camera destuctions if I could find them, but where they have disappeared to is anyone’s guess. I will however try the “shaking above the head method” – you never know!

Hello Tom and everyone else from Landy Rally.

First off, a HUGE thanks to one and all of you for your thoughts, prayers and messages of support. You will, I hope, never understand how much support it has all been, I'm not sure I fully understand. The Land Rover community is a community I feel proud and privileged to be a part of, you lot truly rock. Quite how we would have managed without all the support we have received, I don't know.

Secondly, Tom, the wreath was/is gorgeous, I have a picture of it (at home) and I will post it when I get back. To find out that you made it yourself makes it a little more special than it already was - Thank you.

Thank you to every/anyone that attended the funeral, the Land Rover community gave my babies a send off they deserved. That is not to belittle those that were unable to make it, I am sure we were in your thoughts too.

My family and myself are indebted to you all.

Regards

Gresh

Hi Gresh, good to hear from you mate. Thanks for the thanks if you know what I mean.

Totally agree with you, the Land Rover community is something else. "Proud and privileged to be a part of it" is a damn good description, me too.

Stay strong.