In Memorium

[Tomliner]

It's a year ago (Nov 2nd) that Ian Middleton passed away following his illness.Known around here as Speedbird591 he was a real presence who will be missed for his great wit and humour and his warm personality.How could anyone forget the moving way that he came to terms with his forthcoming death.
I,like most of us I expect,next met Ian although we were planning to meet either in Glasgow or Edinburgh during one of his rail trips.However his illness overtook him.
Rest in peace Ian,the friend that I never met. EricT

[Garry Russell]

A year already!!

Ian was such a special chap...so brave when faced witht the ultimate and cheerful even as it became impossible to post any longer.

Sadly missed

[dodger]

Hello Eric,

It does not seem a year has gone, we had some banter with Ian on the Forum, very sad, a nice fellow,

Roger.

[Paul K]

Rest in peace Ian. You are very much missed.

[PaulC]

Time passes so quickly and it seems like only yesterday that I read his final post. From a man I never met, that post had such an effect on me. What a gent.
Hope all is still peaceful for you.

Paul

[nigelb]

I echo everyone's sentiments. Ian was indeed a very special chap and so couragous.

Nigel²

[TSR2]

Top bloke who will never be forgotten.

[Airspeed]

I've been looking at this October 2014 calendar illustration, and thinking it would make a suitable post for this very occasion:

Miss you, Ian.

[Filonian]

A year already.

Still sorely missed.

A very special man indeed.


Graham

[FlyTexas]

It's kinda funny how much you can miss a person who you've never even met. I miss Ian. The man really lived during the short time he was here. Below is his 'bucket list' which he posted on our beloved CBFS. *sigh*

Several people have asked me if I've got a bucket list of things to do before I kick the bucket. It seems to be quite fashionable lately

I answer that I've been so lucky in my life and had so many wonderful opportunities that I've got nothing left unticked (apart from a couple of sexual fantasies which I'm not sharing with you lot ).

I was daydreaming earlier and wondered how many experiences I could remember and they came flooding back. Of course, there are stories attached to all of them but I haven't got time for that. YOU haven't got time for that! Anyway, off the top of my head, here are some snapshots of some of the wonderful things that I've been privileged to experience. It's one of the reasons that I don't feel resentful about having to leave early

Held baby turtles as they hatched and ran for the sea - Karachi, stayed at Victoria Falls and flew in a light aircraft through the spray – Zimbabwe, ridden a camel around the Pyramids – Cairo, driven Highway One and stayed at Big Sur watching hummingbirds in a clifftop motel garden, visited the Buddha's Temple of the Tooth – Kandy, Sri Lanka, seen thousands of flamingos on Lake Nakuru – Kenya, drunk Singapore Slings in Raffles Hotel, flown inside the Grand Canyon in a light aircraft, sat on the jump seat into Runway 13, Kai Tak – Hong Kong, floated in the Dead Sea – Jordan, been to the Calgary Stampede, been charged by lions, elephants and white rhino while on foot – South African bush, had conversations with Nelson Mandela, Mother Theresa and Margaret Thatcher, had dinner at the Norfolk Hotel, Nairobi, sunbathed on Copacabana Beach – Rio de Janeiro, been to a party held by the Bahraini prime minister at his luxury beach house, spent a night in a Bahrain police station, visited a Buddhist shrine halfway up Mount Fuji, driven a corkscrew road up through the Himalayan foothills from Rawalpindi to Murree Hill Station - Pakistan, had a sunrise champagne breakfast on Circular Quay overlooking the opera house and the harbour bridge – Sydney, visited Lenin's tomb and St Basil's cathedral in Red Square – Moscow, had a ham sandwich in Tel Aviv, took a steam train from Delhi to the Taj Mahal, partied in Beirut while it was still known as the Paris of the Med, seen Mount Kilimanjaro from Amboseli National Park, visited the temples of Kyoto, had dinner on the terrace of the Galle Face Hotel – Colombo, Sri Lanka, seen the fairy penguins on Phillip Island – Melbourne, been to the top of Table Mountain – Cape Town, ridden an elephant in Sri Lanka, visited a stilted fishing village in Brunei – Borneo, walked across a frozen lake to Portage Glacier – Alaska, shared a few beers with a genuine sangoma (witch doctor) and shared his secrets – South Africa, driven across the desert from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, watched a 7 locomotive/120 freight car train climb through the Canadian Rockies – Banff National Park, visited the Imperial Palace private gardens - only open on the Emperor's birthday – Tokyo, stayed at Treetops Hotel – Kenya, seen the Aurora Borealis, been in an earthquake - Tokyo ...

And much much more. I've been very, very lucky.

Ian