Test Match Special - Saying goodbye to Dad

Episode Date: August 21, 2018

Patrick Taylor joined Jonathan Agnew to reflect on the amazing reaction to his e-mail to TMS about the death of his father.

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK. To embrace the impossible requires a vehicle that pushes what's possible. Defender 110 boasts a towing capacity of 3,500 kilograms, a weighting depth of 900 millimeters and a roof load up to 300 kilograms. Learn more at Landrover.ca. I'm just going to read out a remarkable email that we've had, actually, from Patrick Taylor. Thank you for writing to us, Sir, Patrick.

who's written an email is saying, my dad, John Taylor, had, unlike the current England batting line up, dug in and battled doggedly to reach 83. He built gradually through to his 50s as a true gentleman,

a pharmacist, sportsman, father of two boys, until unexpected cloud cover descended, just as he was looking to break free from the shackles and play with the freedom that retirement would bring. On an ever-increasingly sticky wicket,

he faced up and defended against a beamer in the form of leukemia, the Yorker of muscular dystrophy, the googly of Parkinson's, the reverse swing of diabetes and latterly was struck down by the vicious bouncer of dementia. But like fellow Yorkshire, Brian Close, he never winced, complained or succumbed the temptation of amateur dramatics, he just accepted the cards he's been dealt and squeezed every last drop out of life that he could, on a single by single basis with his amazing care team acting. as runners. On 83 Dad finally faced the inevitable

unplayable delivery and left the field of play. I use this cricket analogy, says Patrick, because TMS has been and will continue to be an institution of great importance to generations of our family. I remember as a boy, listening to the

ashes in Australia under my bed covers with a torch on at Silio clock until Dad finally lost patience and reminded me that it was school in the morning. My granddad was blind, and TMS is by far his favourite form of entertainment. So it proved for Dad, particularly when he was virtually bedbound, and it was always great to hear his infamous laugh

as the team dished out its plentiful helpings of wit and repartee. However, most importantly, you managed to allow me to say goodbye to him properly just before his passing. Dad was rushed to hospital on Thursday the 9th of August with another bad chest infection. On Friday, we were told that he had 24 to 5. 48 hours to live, and then in fact he may never regain consciousness. On the Saturday, I visited Dad at hospital with my wife,

and after an hour she had the inspirational idea of getting Test Match special on my mobile. After five minutes, he opened his eyes, and he was completely in the room and aware of us. He was able to convey that he was comfortable, he was at peace, and I was able to tell him what a wonderful father he is, and just how much I love him. not one comfortable with massive shows of emotion after 15 minutes he requested that we listen to the cricket for three hours we listened to woke's crashing about at lords and making his maiden test century

we've got a digital radio into dad's hospital room and he listened to test match special the next day and I don't think it's any coincidence that he passed peacefully just after England had sealed victory well John that's a remarkable email and Patrick, a remarkable email and thank you for sending it to us I'm glad that the programme can be

of a little bit of help to you at that time but best wishes to you and of course to all of your family we had the most amazing reaction to the email sent to us yesterday by Patrick Taylor about his dad John Taylor who died last Sunday last weekend

you may remember that Patrick told us how listening to Test Match Special provided some comfort at the end and he's on the line now to tell us about a challenge that he's undertaking in memory of his father. Hello Patrick.

Hi, Agas. How are you? Well, I'm very well. I've just overwhelmed really before we talk about what you're up to by the incredible response of yesterday I must say I'd read about the opening paragraph of your email

and then put it away because it was quite long and I hadn't read it and then when the time came to read it I thought, good Lord, this is pretty powerful stuff actually are you surprised by the reaction that there's been to it I think I would use the same word in terms of being overwhelmed

I think both in terms of TMS as an institution and also just the it sounds like so many people have made comments almost know my dad or know someone like that sort of Bidon sort of thing so yeah absolutely absolutely incredible and thank you for reading it out so perfectly you got it absolutely spot on that's that's my job why did you why did you why did you decide to write it um well i was out training for this sort of um crazy bike riding and had TMS on it sort of mashed the pain of

training um and um it just reminded me of what had happened on the on the on the saturday with dad and um um it was a very unassuming man and um never really got the limelight as such and just felt it would why not give it a go what's the worst that can happen extraordinary and and and we weren't really expecting that that that's a reaction from him when you put the radio on, just sort of hoping. No, not at all. I mean, I guess it was just, he would probably sort of stay there with his eyes closed. And, yeah, we'd sort of share a moment together.

But, yeah, it was, yeah, just, I mean, there were wide open, just, yeah, wide open. It was quite a thing. Yeah, it's quite a thing. Five Live did a wonderful piece. I'd interviewed him with this morning, and they did a wonderful piece, and they did a wonderful piece and they're calling about how other sporting moments and music have brought people out of the dimension and stuff and there's some fantastic stories.

So, yeah, it seems to have just touched a nerve. Well, it has. And I mean, you're right. When I was listening to that program as I drove in here, and it's given so many people an opportunity, perhaps, just to get a lot of this off their chests as well and to share experiences and somehow turn grief into a positive experience,

which has been part of what's happened here. Yeah, I mean, that's why I said you've got it perfect because it wasn't about sort of someone breaking down and being emotional about it. It was a story of joy. You know, he did very well. It was his time to go, and he squeezed every last drop out of his life. And that seems to have been the thread that's gone through

listening to the radio today. It's been very uplifting. Yeah. Was listening to cricket a big part of your lives? Yeah, massive. I mean, you know, front, front. from the letter and me being told off for listening at inappropriate times, etc.

I enjoyed that bit because I was exactly the same under the seat. I mean, that absolutely struck a chord with me and with many of us, I suspect. Yes, yes, but you are a great institution. You may be bushing at this point, but yeah, it's something that doesn't need to be changed in any way.

I think the point is that actually I mean listening to cricket on the radio is the way that a lot of us got involved in cricket in the first place it certainly was for me with my dad working around the farm and having the radio on and all the old famous voices were on there and he would have a chuckle and move it around

and it got me into listening to bit but it's also company though isn't it it's there as sort of a background sound during the summer and I think that's what people enjoy too Oh no, absolutely. I mean, it's the conversations that go on outside of cricket, because there's obviously a lot of time between balls. It's just, it's great. It's like you're there. It's always like you there. I remember we always used to do the old trick of sticking the radio on top of the telly and turn the volume down.

Tell us what you're up to then. You've dropped a hint about the cycle ride that you're undertaking. It sounds pretty crazy. It's not actually linked to my dad, but obviously I'll be now doing it in his honour. So a very good friend of mine from university, his son is affected by meningitis and another friend who's doing the ride, lost his daughter at 19 days. So I just, thank you for inviting me on, because it just seems like something potentially tangible out of dad's death can come in terms of, you know, raising money for a fantastic cause. What are you doing? so I'm riding a thousand miles in nine days from Lanzhen to John O'Grouse

and sadly doing tents which is interesting because I'm six foot six and got a bit of a glass pack How are you going to fit on a bike at six foot six? Well it's a very big bike and a very tall stem

So you've got how far to go and how long did you say? So a thousand miles in nine days Gricky, that's going to be and how's the training going? Well obviously Obviously, what's happened as curtailed it slightly, but then from a, I guess, from a mental and motivational point of view,

that's more than make-up for it. Yeah. Well, we've got to try and get you up to your target, haven't we? That's the plan here. How can we help you? How can we back you? So if people just go on to the just-giving side, which is obviously a very common site,

and search on Pat-Taylor 6, They will find me, Le Jog. Say that again? Pat dash Taylor 6. Excellent. Okay, well look, Patrick, I hope you've been listening to us along the way. You have touched a huge number of people with this. So I just hope more than any else that it helps you through this time for you

because it's still very recent, very fresh, and you've got a lot to do in the meantime. Thank you. Thank you so much, I guess. There we go. Well, thank you, Patrick, very much indeed. Best wishes to you and your family for all of us here and everyone that's been listening. It was remarkable.

Good luck to Patrick. So let's back him. Let's get him up to his target for meningitis. And thank you very much, indeed, Patrick, for joining us.