My Dad 26/07/56 to 13/05/26 💔
Rest in peace Dad.
Sitting here thinking... I’m finding myself pulled back to the beginning—to the great childhood you gave me and my brothers and the many ways you shaped who we are today, your music choices and influence which was the best musical education we could have had, taking us to watch Stoke City with your own Dad, playing cricket in the back yard (even though I hate that sport), the pubs in tunstall (a half in everyone one) and the reform club where we learnt to play dominoes and play snooker. Thanks to you and that club I got my first best friends in Jock and Rambo.
Even now a huge core memory of mine is live aid in 1985... though I don't actually remember the music on live aid, even though we watched all day long together. I actually remember you paying me 1p for every grey hair I pulled from your head, and eager for those pennies I spent all day clearing your head of greys I remember that clearer than anything. Those years were gifts, and I’m holding tight to those great memories I'm sure all my brothers are too.
Our relationship became more complicated in recent times, and I won't pretend the distance wasn't hard. But in the quiet of this morning, the difficulties feel smaller, and the gratitude for our early memories feels much larger. I am choosing to remember you through those best moments, honoring the closeness we had, and hoping that you have finally found total peace and all the pain you were in is finally over. You’ll be missed, and you’ll be remembered for the good man you were, I imagine there won't be a dry eye in the houses and boozers around town today.
Love you always Dad, your Sons will never forget you. X
Steven Cole
29/05/2026
