The Funeral went well a lot lot more people there than I thought there would be, seeing that Tracy had no family and I just have my two brothers it was packed with people from past jobs and friends.
I shocked myself that I managed to read out what I had written about Tracy I'm very shy in real life and it was really hard for me and I didn't know at least 90% of the people there.
Mind you I did make one silly mistake during the last song I thought I would leave first and wait outside the door so I could say thank you to everyone.
I was waiting outside the door, but I didn't know there was two doors and everyone started to leave via a door on the other side of the building. I thought every must have thought I did a runner or something because I left by that door so I had to quickly run all around the building so I get to people to thank them Tracy would have been laughing so much.
This is what I read out at Tracy's funeral.
I firstly would like to thank everyone who has come today,
Tracy would laugh and be shocked if she knew I was going to speak in front of people, I've only every done this once before and that was at school for my English oral exam, which I totally failed at, how Trace would laugh when I would tell her what a disaster that was.
I cant believe I am doing this I thought we were going to grow old together, retire together, and many years down the line sadly Trace would have to do this for me first.
Tracy was a only child and had to suffer the early lose of her mother at the age of her 13, and was brought up by her Dad you also sadly died at a very young age, he suffered for many year near the end of his life with ill health so Tracy had to look after her dad as well.
Tracy would always stand up for herself and be forward with her views, and she always told me that was how her dad taught her to be, and to prepare her for life after he was gone and it was something I loved about her.
As some people know Trace and I had been together for over 30 years in fact the relationship when back further than that, we were in some of the same classes together at school. I can always remember one day at school me and my mates were bored one dinner hour, and we played this stupid game sat in side G block, and saying that the next girl that comes in would be your girlfriend and when it was my turn Trace walked in the door, and from that moment on it always seemed like our fate that we would be together. And not long after we had left school fate yet again intervened and we ended up working at the same place and we got on really well.
And in the end Tracy asked me out, just as well as I would have been to shy to ask her out. Of course relationship has it's up and downs but the many many years of happiness far out weighted the downs.
In her early days Tracy was very politically active for the Liberals at a local level, knocking on doors, delivering campaign leaflets, taking a petition to 10 downing street. They were even thinking of putting her up for election as a local councillor, I never knew about this until sometime after we we going out and Tracy said she gave that gave that up when she started to go out with me. Tracy should have told me I would had help her, but like she said to me not long ago “That's when you knew what they stood for.”
It used to make me smile when Tracy used to Tweet Cameron, Osbourne and Clegg giving them a piece of her mind about how they were treating the poor, disabled and the vulnerable in sociality, not because she hoped to get a reply or think they will change their policy's but there maybe was a very small chance they may read what she thought of them.
Tracy also loved to learn new things and had a great force of will, She told me she always enjoyed her time at school and most of the jobs she did and hated when she wasn't working something that summed both of these things up is when she fall and badly broke her leg just below the knee. She spent about 3 months in hospital and Tracy spent weeks in traction which didn't work, her leg came infected, she had loads of ops on her knee and skin grafts even spent a couple of nights in intensive care it got so bad a at one point the doctors thought she might lose her leg, but she fought though all these set backs and finally came home Tracy spent a while in a wheelchair and then onto a leg brace, where she did work at the time sacked her because they thought Tracy would never work again, but Tracy was determined to prove them wrong, she signed up a course at Trowbridge college a computer maintenance and databases course, and Tracy went there every work day for about 2 years she would go on long walks to strengthen the knee and when she was nearly ready Tracy volunteered for the Citizens Advice Bureau, and finally got a full time job it was a long hard struggle for her but I remember how happy she was on that day. Even the week Tracy passed away Tracy was just about to enrol in an Open university course.
Writing this as helped me, Thinking of all the greats times we had, like for the years we used to go to heavy metal concerts 2 to 3 times a week.
Tracy looked so different then permed hair, heavy metal t-shirt and a denim jacket covered in badges from the bands we had seen a big Blue Oyster Cult back patch and autographs on the shoulders from the bands members we had met.
I can remember when we went to see Iron Maiden and it was standing only
usually we made sure we got to a place where Tracy could see. But for some reason this time when the concert started we were stood right behind 4 huge hells angels, big beards, leather jacket with skull and crossbones on the back the whole thing, it was so packed you couldn't more to the left or right. And to my total dismay Tracy decided to try to see if she could make them more herself and started to dig her elbows into the backs of the two in front of her to see if they would move, The trouble was they didn't and they kept looking around to see who was doing it, looking over Tracy and not seeing her and just seeing me looking all sheepish and smiling like an idiot. This went on for a few minutes and then they suddenly noticed it was Tracy and they couldn't have been nicer, let us go in front of them and made sure Tracy got to a spot where she could see.
After the show they even came across to check that Tracy was OK and took us for pint, that was a little surreal, me being all Shy and Tracy asking all types of questions about their motorbikes, tattoos and their lifestyle like she had know them for years. When we had to go she even got a kiss on the cheek from them I just got a grunt. Tracy loved it when things like that happened.
There are many things I could tell you about like when we when to Brussels to go to a concert and we went for a walk at night and I got us totally lost late at night in what looked like a totally dodgy area and our way blocked off by what looked like a large wall and I noticed a metal staircase and I said like I knew lets use that it will be a shortcut, but it turned out it wasn't wall but a building and we spend next 10 minutes in the dark scrambling about like a couple cat burglars across the top of strange shaped roofs to find a way down on the other side in the end we did find a way down and back to the hotel and it wasn't a shortcut.
I could go on all day about the memories I have with my time with Tracy and I will deeply miss the nights we would having a good laugh taking about them.
We had plans to do so many more things, like for this summer holiday Tracy made a list of things to do and places to visit, we had got about half way down the list. We were just getting things ready the next thing. We had brought a small 4 man tent, a wind up torch and a camping stove and Tracy wanted to go wild camping on Dartmoor for a few days. Sightsee in the day and later in the afternoon go for a little walk and find a nice place to camp and have a great night chatting and looking at the stars I was so looking forward to that.
Tracy had a great love for wildlife and the countryside. She enjoyed our tip to the peck district and when we went to Wales she just loved watching the
Red kites. One of her favourites places to was on Westbury whites horse taking a picnic and looking at the great views and watch and listen to the Skylarks. she was so happy.
Tracy used to get really excited when All Hallows Forestry school updated there face book page with new photos she loved to see what the children had been up to. Tracy loved to watch all the Spring watch programs.and used to get excited when she saw Simon King at work but could never pluck up the courage to say hello to him.
As most people know Tracy was a big Liverpool fan. But it wasn't just the club she loved she loved the city and the people of Liverpool.
When I was working, we were up there all the time going to every home games we could they were great times, Tracy always wanted to move there.
Tracy used to join in with fan lead campaigns at the club like the marches and protests to get the then carpetbagging owners Guillite and Hicks out of the club, The marches about how they were treating Rafa, Tracy just loved Rafa not just as a manager but the kind of man he was.
And of course the long 26 years campaign to get justice for 96, Tracy would do anything to help that long struggle and at least she saw that justice is on it's way. Tracy would be so excited right with the Football season just about to start, and even happier that her beloved Liverpool won Manchester United lost.
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And finally a few thank-yous.
I would like to thank Paul and Michael my brothers and Debbie my sister in law and their children for helping get though these hard 2 weeks.
I would like to thank Karen and Clive sadly Karen can't be here today because she is out of the Country I know she loved you dearly thank you for all the help and support over the last 2 weeks and the many years of friendship you gave Tracy.
I would like to thank Mel a close friend from All Hallows thank you for all you help and support over the last 2 weeks.
I would like to thank All hollows school Tracy always said it was the most enjoyable job she ever had she like everything about it. Tracy was always telling me how nice the school and children were, how friendly the Teachers were, and how she enjoyed working with the people she was work with. Only a few days before she passed away Tracy said she was looking forward to going back to work to she what changes had been made over the summer.I would like Jackie a teacher at All Hollows But Tracy would always say how nice you were and how she enjoyed the chats.and you did inspire her it was the reason she was going to do an open university course.
And finally I would like to thank Red and White Kop a Liverpool forum Tracy used for over 13 years and Liverpool fans from all over the world who have sent words of support and memories of Tracy it helped me greatly and again proves LFC is a global family.
Tracy I miss you more and more each day and I am totally lost without you.
R.I.P Tracy you were my heartbeat, My first Love, My everything I miss you so much
I know Tracy would want me to get on with my life, I guess at some point I will, but it will be so hard when Tracy was my life.
And once more just for you Tracy Never buy the Sun and Justice for the 96.
