19th April - Officially "Chris Hall Day"

[Dave Crampton]

Its so nice to read others memories of Chris.

I'll never forget his strength of character in the Hospice in Hudderfeild. I believe he stayed their a few times giving Liz restbite from his full time care, late on in the stages of terrible MND. He always had an infectous grin. I never saw him look depressed, sad or blame anyone/thing for his disease. He truely resolved to live life to the fullest.

We first met Liz and Chris when they came to visit Gavin and Fi in Edinburgh. Its always great to meet people you have read so much of on YD, and I was impressed with them from the off. We spent a wonderfull day walking up Arthurs Seat (a small hill in Edinburgh) where a lovely catalogue pose photo was taken of us three hunks/men, surveying our suroundings. We ended day having a lovely coffee in the freshily renovated Parliment quarter which usd to be the home of the McEwan brewery, just across the road from the Holyrood Palace.

On our trip to Norway Chris was showing signs of weekness in his legs, and walked with a stick. This didn't stop him getting the max fun out of our trip and I was glad to see everyone mucked in if he needed any help, not that he asked for any.

Chris was a great guy once I got to know him a little. If I can be half the man he was I'll be very happy.

I'd love to see that catalogue photo again.

Dave C

[Fiona]

Originally Posted by Lou

The first time we met Chris was the first Angesey weekend

Same sort of thing for me, it was my first Angelsey gig (YD's second one) and I was petrified walking into a pub full of people trying to work out who I was supposed to be meeting, Chris and Liz invited me to sit with them and I spent all all evening there and they immediately put me at ease.

Not Anglesey but one of the Mull trips, which have to be some of the best YD trips there have been.

[Sparky750]

Chris was gone before i joined YD but was liked and respected by many members i have met. I agree with Fiona a payandplay would be good everyone pays a pound or a fiver just a set rate everyone pays the same to log on that day or maybe anyone selling anything in the adverts has to give a percentage of the sale to MND

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by Jay

.... Or got any suggestions of how we can mark Chris' day? .......

Who was Chris Hall?
What is Chris' charity?

I intend to mark Chris Hall Day by purchasing my YD clothing (some of the proceeds are going to charity) actually on the day , 19th April - I thought it was apt.

I do so hope the admins haven't prematurely closed Gary's thread, otherwise I shall be threadless ....

Oh well Chris, hope that raised a laugh where-ever you are!

Cheers, Paul

[Smudge]

Working along side Chris was always a pleasure - Smiling and laughing, even when we didn't get paid! Heres just a couple of pics I took one pool night at manchester.

Hugs and luv to Liz xx

[Liz Hall]

Oh those trousers! I had to send them with him. I will try and find a pic. They did indeed look like PJ bottoms and were almost never off him. Along with some bright colour T-Shirt.
Well - I wore pink and baked cakes with my goddaughter and wished people a Happy Chris Hall Day. I think it will stick. Thanks to YD it will be less of a sad day and more a happy memory day.
I still want more stories and pics folks.
Thanks Smudge for that one - you gave a print to me at Chris's funeral and I have had it framed in my kitchen ever since. It really does make me smile.
And Jules - you know how much I appreciate your help with keeping Chris's memory alive. You saw him at his best and probably at his grumpiest worst too! So thanks love.
Jay too - for the idea of starting this day. And to all of you who have helped raise money and support the Motor Neurone Disease Association. For any of you who receive Thumbprint the magazine they send check out the article on planning funerals. The Pink Coffin was one of the three stories they published!
Lots of love
Liz
x

[Dundee]

I'm a bit late with this but what the hell...

My fondest memories of Chris on the Locahline trips was his uncanny talent at DIR bating one of the guys from Edinburgh (I think). He just didn't let up all weekend with light hearted jabbing. Chris's poor victim had to keep a smile on his face to show it wasn't getting to him which just spurred Chris on to a few more digs. It was all done in jest, I seem to remeber Fiona joining in at one point (irony eh Fi?)

That was the trip where we managed to get out to Bo Fascadale where we had 30m vis around the pinnacle and dolphins around the boat on the way out. Truly memorable times :-)

I will see if I have any photos lying around somewhere.

best regards Liz

C

[Jules]

oh yes, and I think we nearly persuaded Liz that diving in mull is always that cool!
That was my first time getting to Bo Fascadale, and from the surface you could see 30m and vice versa. I got vertigo!
Somewhere i have the video of the dolphins surfing the bow wave.

Chris (Dundee) I think that was the time we saw the sea eagles too?

So now i am trying to remember who the Baited DIR Bod was, that was in the days where it was politically correct to do so as DIR people were thought to be odd and strange, not like these days where even Fi is one of them.

There is probably a few trip reports on here from then...

[Helen F H]

I nearly missed this, having been in the back of beyond for a week to allow the joiner to complete our new galley

Its true, Chris was one of the main reasons i am where i am now (in the wheelhouse of the boat ). Up till then i had been umming and arring over whether to sod it all and come to Orkney. Seeing Chris's reaction to my ponderings made me realise that life is too short and maybe we should only ever regret the things we didnt do, rather than the things we have done.

So here I am. Thank you Chris

Chris faced the end with dignity and courage, humour and not one ounce of self pity. I remember him telling me with all the glee of a schoolboy that he had been stuck on the loo the previous day when he had slipped and found himself stranded until Liz rescued him. So many people would have found this soul destroying, Chris found it hilarious.

I suspect the DIR bod who was baited was Gary known as Gunsentry, although it could have been AndyB.

[geordie mick]

hi all
I first meet chris and liz on a lockaline trip proberly four years back, my first impresion of chris why has this guy got his pyjamas on at 6 o clock at night,
but as the weekend progressed i found them to be avery warm hearted couple so much so that i booked on to a red sea trip that chris was organizing the following year.

There are so many unforgetable mouments of that trip it would be hard to describe all of them , but one of then that stands out from the rest must be the night dive on the thistlegorm , there was myself, robert jan , and chris and every time i looked around there would be chris comeing out of are going in to some dark hole are other some of them seemed imposable but chris always managed it a tribute to his diving skills.