Goodbye to John Sullivan

 Normally on a Friday, I do the Friday fun section. As I attended the funeral of our no 1 guest blogger today, Mr John Sullivan, I didn't feel it appropriate to do this feature. Having already written my eulogy to John previously, I just wanted to report back that his funeral was packed. The chapel at Hendon Crematorium was so full that we had to stand in the overspill annexe. It was futting to see so many people there. I bumped into at least five people who I've not seen for a while, who I didn't know were friends of John. He certainly got around. I had a lovely chat with his wife Ida, and his son Cliff to pass on my personal condolensces. The eulogy was fascinating. At such times you learn a lot of things about the person that you never knew. I knew all about Johns work as a disabled campaigner, but far less about his early life and his working career. I've known John since about 2009. we were introduced by local Barnet Unison rep John Burgess, who suggested that John may be a good guest blogger. Fittingly John was at the service today. 

For about the first five years I knew John, he'd always start any email regarding matters Barnet, guest blogs etc with the message "I know nothing about blogging but....". I was out for a drink with him in 2014, and yet again he said it. I said "John, you've published over 30 guest blogs, over a million people have seen them, all this talk of 'knowing nothing about blogging' is wearing a bit thin". He laughed and said "Have I really publisghed that many?". I said "Yes, I made a point of counting them as I knew you'd say that". He laughed and said "Well I never". About two weeks later, he phoned me. He was so angry, he could hardly talk. I wasn't sure what was going on. I said "Sorry John, you've lost me here, bring me up to speed". He gathered his thoughts and said "Sorry, when you told me I'd posted 30 Guest Blogs I thought you were pulling my leg. I had some time on my hands today so I read them all back". I was a bit worried when he said this. Had I edited one in a way he was unhappy with? He then said "I can't believe it. It's all there. Everything we said was right and the ******** never listened, the ******** didn't care". He then said, "You know that Blog I did, The Definition of Evil - I'd completely forgotten that. There is so many evil ******** running Barnet Council and in the Tory government that you get overwhelmed. How can you forget writing something like that. It was true wasn't it?". As I listened to the Celebrant play Hey Jude, those words repeated themselves in my mind. 

The celebrant rightly concentrated more on John's love of family and the people he helped. Without his beloved Downs daughter Susan, our paths may never have crossed, but she was his Little Chief and the apple of his eye. I had a bit of a bond with John as my cousin Tessie was a peer and friend of Susans and I saw the same things John saw happening, although with the detachment of not being Tessie's Dad. Whenever John went to war, he'd always remind me that it wasn't just for Susan, it was for Tessie and everyone else. Over a beer he told me that Susan had made him a better person. He had no choice but to love, care and fight for her. The sad truth is that he did have a choice, some parents sadly walk away. If you don't believe me, watch Otto Baxter in "Not a F@cking Horror Story". 

It is always easier to look the other way, to take the easy path, to give in, to not pick up the phone, write a blog or march when there is something that needs to be done. John Sullivan never chose the easy option. That was why the chapel was full. That was why there was so much love. Johns was the second funeral I've been to this week. Such events make you reflect on your own life and contribution. There have been plenty of times when I have wondered whether it is time to knock the blog on the head, to stop saying the things that need to be said. Maybe I should have done it a year or two ago. Trouble is, I can't now because I know John will bloody well come back and haunt me if I do. God bless you John and give Susan a big hug from me, up in the big party in the sky. 

I'll leave this here. Without John Sullivan, this film would never have been made