[Jay]

I know this was suggested last year but I wanted to run it past Liz and she's delighted to celebrate Chris by dedicating one day a year in his memory (as well as thinking of any ways to raise a little cash for his charity of choice - MND.

Now I know that the RNLI is the current 'charity of choice' for YD and that you've raised an amazing amount of cash for it throughout the year but I also know that a fair few of you contacted me last year suggesting a "Chris Hall Day".

So - anyone up for running this? Or got any suggestions of how we can mark Chris' day? Whether we raised £1 or £100, I think the most important thing is that we remembered Chris.

Q&A for newer members:

Who was Chris Hall?
What is Chris' charity?

 

[fatboy]

nice thought

how about a yd gig at capers or stoney?

 

[BSH]

We could have a "pay to play" day and everyone who logs on has to donate

 

[Dave Crampton]

These are both great ideas. I'll support anything which is organised, unfortunatley I don't have time to do this myself this half of the year.

Dave C

 

[Jay]

Keep them coming people - anything daft etc (remembering Chris' own sense of humour!). Had a couple of interesting PMs as well so keep posting!!!!

 

[Janos]

Charity towel whipping contest in Stoney Cove.

Janos

 

[Liz Hall]

Thank You!

It means the world to me that you keep remembering Chris this way and raising money for Motor Neurone Disease.

By the time Chris died, on 19 April 2006, there was already £10,000 in the MND pot raised in his name. Following some amazing YD support and our trip to Base Camp Everest last year plus hundreds of donations from friends and family the total is now over £44,000... Staggering.

But the thought of a Chris Hall Day is most moving of all. THANK YOU YD!

As I approach 2 years since Chris died I am inclined to think that he left a big impression on lots of people as well as me. That is a big comfort. I am open to hearing any funny stories of times when I was not there. It seems I forget how quirky he could be in the gloom of grief.

The other day I watched our wedding DVD and expected to be either overjoyed or distraught. I felt neither but instead experienced a deep sense of relief to be reminded of what he sounded like and how he smiled!

So if you have a funny story I will be so happy to hear from you!

Thanks all

Liz Hall

 

[Jules]

If an event is organised I think people ought to wear pink in honour of those Pink Booties of which he was so proud.

I'll have a think...

 

[Gary K]

the YD Clothing Shop may be open for one (just one!) more day ...............................

watch this space

 

[Jules]

the YD Clothing Shop may be open for one (just one!) more day ...............................

watch this space

ooooo that sounds exciting!

 

[Jules]

look for memories please

I like fiona's pay to play idea. On the day is self or on that week YDers could buy Chris a pint by dropping a quid or two onto his web site.

Can I ask people to scan through their photo collections from previous trips that Chris went on, I have some of Anglesey I think and also of Norway but I am sure other s have a lot more. Certaintly Chris and Liz were on my very first YD mull trip.

Liz really has the appetite now to hear stories about chris that she hasn't heard (or hear them retold) and to see photos, videos and other memories so as well as a little fund raiser it is just as important to use chris's day to share some memories.

Jules

 

[Jay]

I only met Chris on a couple of occasions - on the Anglesey trip and then when he came round to my house to buy a couple of YD fleeces. Two things struck me about Chris:

1. His sheer presence - I'm not necessarily referring to his height (but that would be hard to ignore!!) but the fact that he always seemed to gather people around him. At Anglesey in the pub, YD'ers were milling around but Chris always had a huddle of people around him and was keeping them enthralled with his stories.

2. His gentleness - the day Chris came over to pick up his fleeces, we had a coffee and were chatting about a dive instructor / shop owner we both knew. Chris was really annoyed with this guy over something but the closest he could bring himself to swearing was to refer to this individual as;

"A capital S, H, one, T"

Hard to believe it has been nearly two years but wonderful that Chris is rememembered with such humour

 

[MJH]

If anyone else feels able to sponsor me raising funds for MND it would be really great.

The training is nearly killing me atm - I need all the support I can get

http://www.yorkshire-divers.com/for...ising-forum/66738-sponsored-marathon-mnd.html

 

[Jay]

[bump]

 

[Liz Hall]

Thankyou for the YD Chris Hall day!

I am sitting here with Jules and it just went past midnight into the 19th April. That means it is 2 years since my lovely hubby died of the horrid MND

He would be amazed at all the YD fundraising efforts. In particular thanks to Marianne for her amazing Marathon effort and Warm Water Diver for the YD clothing pledge! You guys rock!

Well - it is of course a sad day for me but also a chance to remember what a great and quirky guy Chris was. I have added (with the help of JULES!) 6 new pics you may not have seen before. Hope they make you smile:

1 - Chris and Liz in Egypt happy as anything in January 2005 (just months before his diagnosis)

2 - Chris and Graham in Tenerife (Chris wearing the very loud shirt, Graham the grumpy git! ha ha - hope he reads this)

3 - A funny Chris face

4 - Chris in his element! In Cuba in Jan 2004 - the underwater one!!!

5 - The salute on top of the boat. He was so so happy teaching all his lovely friends to dive and enjoy the wonders of the Red Sea

6 - Looking cool and sexy on the back of a boat...

So folks. Whatever you do today do it with a smile for Chris, maybe wear pink, tell me a story, post me a pic and put a pound or two in the pot if you can...

Memorial website for Chris Hall - The Chris Hall Tribute Fund


Love Liz x

 

[MJH]

He would be amazed at all the YD fundraising efforts. In particular thanks to Marianne for her amazing Marathon effort and Warm Water Diver for the YD clothing pledge! You guys rock!

Liz I've sent you a pm but I also wanted to thank YD for their support. The huge amounts raised recently are nothing to do with me or Gary really - they are a tribute to Chris

 

[Jules]

The memory i retain of chris is how he always tried to put people at their ease. The first time i met him (through YD about 5 years ago when i posted looking for buddies) he very quickly invited me round for a cup of Tea but was at great pains to explain that Liz his girlfiend would be there in case i got the wrong idea.

I took my sister Marcie with me (for protection in case they turned out to Fred and Rosemary West, this was my first foray into meeting random people from the internet) , we had a cup of tea and were all just friends from there on in. Marcie did the pink coffin trek with liz last year. Chris and Liz became friends of the family and remain so.

Chris being an instructor was a way for him to share his love of scuba. He would never charge his friends commercial rates for courses. He did my first PADI nitrox course for a bar of cadburies wholenut and the cert card fee. It was a large bar mind you and i realised later that he loved whole nut and liz wouldn't eat it!

Chris's advice was always very sound and there are people on here who have benefitted from it (YD legend has it that it was chris Hall's fault that Helen Hadley ended up moving to Orkney!)

Chris wasn't a saint but he was jolly decent bloke and great to dive with and hang out with.

Much missed, i don't have any new photos that i haven't posted before but here are a couple of nicely scrubbed up divers you might recognise

Chris and I on the Jane R in norway

blimey, wasn't my hair short then!
Jules

 

[Lou]

I don't have any piccies of Chris to share, I'm afraid, but here are a couple of memories...

The first time we met Chris was the first Angesey weekend, when we had two boats booked and someone had forgotten to cancel the horizontal, lashing rain and gale-force winds! Despite all odds our boat decided to go out in the Menai Straits and two of the odd bunch of divers who turned up were Chris and Liz - resplendent in ridiculous jester-style fleecy hats. It was a small spot of VERy bright in a cold day, and they were both on hand with the hot tea when C & I surfaced after about 40 mins to find everyone else had binned the dive in strong milky tea-like viz after less than 10 mons!

The second memory was a Lochaline trip. Chris in the kitchen, in his "pyjama"-style trousers...constantly! Don't know what he got up to in there but it seemed every time we went in there, there he was...in those same trousers And a smile, of course.

 

[Gary K]

Liz

At a very rough guess (as I dont know how much the postage is going to cost yet) I'd estimate the clothing gear thread will be able pledge £500 ish, maybe a little more

I'll know more in a few weeks. I presume I can also "giftaid" the pledge? If I can then that'll add about another £100

I can only ditto what Marianne says above, and although organising the clothing order can be a right royal pain in the arse at times, I'd rather do it than run 26 miles, I think Chris would agree

Best
Gary

 

[kath2407]

Happy Chris Hall day folks.

My love and hello's to Liz (we never did get that drink did we - maybe we should pledge to do it soon!!)

K XX