Am I allowed to laugh yet?

Am I allowed to laugh yet? You know, laugh at the good times when Ben Hiscox, the King of the village in Stoke Gifford, lit up our lives? You know, that time when Ben…in our village we all have a ‘that time when Ben’ did something, said something, scored a goal for the local football team off the meat of his shin or directly from a cross? “I meant that,” he’s say. Yeah of course you did, Ben. Of course you did.

It’s seven long years – or is seven short years: it still feels like last year to me – when Ben left us. Yet his spirit lives on, shining a light on the good, on the absurd, of the just plain funny, in our hearts.

I still half expect Ben to emerge from a football changing room somewhere, smiling from ear to ear, fag behind one of those ears, little radio in one hand, desperately trying to find out the Rovers score (“they’re losing – again!” some bright spark City fan would remind him), and betting slip with all the day’s inaccurate predictions in the other.

The village never forgets. There’s Ben’s bench, almost always in use, often by young scallywags like the man himself; occasionally quaffing an indiscreet can of Thatchers. The beautiful tree just behind the seat, beautifully maintained, above some of his ashes, a living embodiment of Ben Hiscox.

And of course the Beaufort Arms, the village pub, a proper locals pub with pictures of the great man on the wall, often surrounded by his friends and contemporaries, older, more careworn, but seemingly little wiser.

Me? I pause for a moment and remember Ben, who was always great to my family and me, and I thank my lucky stars for the gift of a deep and special friendship I now enjoy with his wider family. For through them and our special village, his spirit lives on.

As I write, the sun shines brightly, as it so often does for Ben and on the radio a song belts out, “It’s over if we run out of love”. Spooky? Maybe so, probably not, but what are we without love? It won’t be running out here anytime soon.

I’ll raise a glass to Ben tonight. And if you knew him, you should too. It’s what he would have wanted.

(Photo: Daily Mirror.)

SUPPORT THIS SITE

If you like what I do please support me on Ko-fi