It's been a while since I have sat down to make a post. The last eight months have been awful. How does one get on with life when half of it is missing? It's only now I feel that I can, through the tears, put down some words.
This is a tribute to the wonderful person I shared 44 years of my life with.
Trevor
Alan Hadley was born on the 31st March 1954, the third child of Ray
and Brenda in Bilston. He had an elder
siblings Roy and Joy and after a few years a younger sister Jackie.
The
Hadley family lived in Bilston and were close and fun loving.
Trevor
was a typical boy getting into mischief in the company of his ever faithful dog
Bobby. Sometimes as he attempted to hide
on the fields behind their home after some jape but Bobby would be the one that
gave him away by sitting, wagging his tail next to the bush Trevor would be
hiding behind!
Always
interested in anything mechanical, encouraged by his dad and Uncle Norman. He had quite a collection of Matchbox cars and
trucks as a lad.
Though
Trevor had many friends at school he wasn’t motivated by the teachers, and
despite passing the 11+ and attending Grammar school he caused some
consternation by not being very attentive.
His parents didn’t know weather to laugh or cry at a comment on one of
his school reports by his biology teacher – ‘Trevor is an amiable buffoon!”
After
leaving school, and fully motivated by his interest in mechanics he went into
an apprenticeship at Bradburn & Wedge Wolverhampton, and attained his City
and Guilds qualifications in Vehicle Mechanics with distinction. Never happier than covered in oil and with a
spanner in his hand!
He had
good friends including Pete and Neil, who he shared good times with. Many
laughs were had together, and their shared interests in cars and motorbikes,
and spending happy hours ‘off-roading’ over the fields.
He had a
wonderful knowledge of a wide range of music styles, including blues, rock and
Cajun and could tell who was playing backing instruments on recordings by there
styles of play.
Trev and
Rose met in July 1972 on a blind date – but not with each other! They shared company over a drink or two and
by the end of the evening Rose knew that she had met her soul mate. Many of their courting days were spent
happily customising his cars. They were
pretty well inseparable from then on. Getting married in 1978.
He
started working for BRS in 1975 as a HGV vehicle mechanic until attaining his
21st birthday when he got his HGV licence, which he was longing for
and from then on was out on the road in his truck. He had the most amazing knowledge of the
roadways of both Britain and
Europe, never needing a map as his very own
‘TREVNAV’ came into play. Up to his retirement in October 2014 and having
driven literally millions of miles with an accident free driving record.
In 1982
he became the very proud father of Vicky, upon whom he doted.
Vicky
becoming his constant companion when he was at home. Together, they fettled motors in the garage
and walked for miles sharing a love of nature and wildlife – often joined by
neighbour John and brother Roy and his daughter Laura. Of course his roguish ways never left him,
and he was know to play pranks upon Vicky – one memorable one by bending a nail
around his finger and smearing tomato sauce around it to pretend he’d injured
himself.
One day old - first family photo
He came
back to motorbikes later in life, and still loved to individualise his Honda
CX. Someone once commented to him that
you couldn’t fit a 650 engine into a 500 frame – he soon disproved that theory
by his huge knowledge of mechanics! His beloved black bike SLY runs like a
dream, and he has toured all over the UK and also got many miles under his belt
in Europe attending club rallies in both Holland and Germany. He greatly valued the friends that this
interest bought into his life, and he spent lots of time talking bikes and
sharing jokes with them. Helping each
other when spares or technical information were needed. A close friend once offered him some spares and
his reply was that ‘My shed runneth over!’
Happy days together.
His last
project, the beautiful blue American CX 650 Custom was built up from a bare
frame and arrived mainly through the post box!
Though
Trevor had a busy life he was generous with his time and would always help out
a friend in need. He loved his family
and friends and always the gentle giant with the roguish laugh
It was a mark of the high esteem in which he was held when over 95 people attended the celebration of his life, they came from all over the UK, Southern Ireland, Holland and Germany.
Ancient history, almost 45 years ago...
19th July 1972
I had been set up on a blind date - all I knew was a rough description of the chap, and that his name Rob.
I was at the appointed place on time and a car kept driving past, slowing but not stopping. The handsome chap driving the car would smile as he slowed down....I was confused, why if he was my date didn't he stop? I waited for around twenty minutes after the appointed time and thought that was long enough. I started to walk to my brothers home about two miles away. As I walked along the main road, the same car kept driving past... By the time I was only a few hundred yards from my destination curiosity got the better of me (young and foolish you see) So I kept a look out in case he came past again, as I saw the car I stood and waited... The driver pulled up alongside and leaned over and wound down the window and said hello. I asked his name - fully expecting the reply to be Rob, and was horrified when he reply "Trev". I was totally embarrassed, and stuttered an apology and started to walk hurriedly off. He asked me to stop, and got out of the car to talk to me. I explained who I'd thought he was, and he commented that Rob was a fool to stand me up.
I was certainly attracted to him, but also cautious. He asked if I'd like to go for a drink. I said that as long as I could select the place we could go. There was a pub just around the corner, so I suggested there - he agreed and off we went the few hundred yards to the pub and talked and laughed together for the next few hours....I knew in that short time that he was 'the' one.
Who knew that this meeting would shape the rest of my life.
