The last week has been the most challenging week of my life ever, my mum Hazel left us a couple of days ago at the age of 74.
We know that all you guys would have wholeheartedly supported us, however this wasn’t ours to tell and mum was a massively private person. I think at points some of our loyal followers had an idea, but as we never mentioned it and went head long into our next car adventure, you repeated we wouldn’t just come out with it.
Mum was always fit and healthy and lived a varied life, and lived in the village we live in - she was born in 1949, a happy fun child who had a massive fondness for animals this culminated in owning many cats primarily, Tolodomy, Catherine cat you get the idea.
Her mum and dad were Joan and Len, Joan was from Wilmslow, Manchester and Len the Isle of Man - mum trained as a short hand typist and worked for social services and then at Lancaster University for a Professor.
Her final career led her into aiding people, as a community carer in the surrounding villages, she loved it and was good too. Making many friends a long the way.
Over the years my mum, brother and I got closer and closer - due to my dad who left when I was at high school, and mum thought no way are my children missing out, she always wanted the best for us meaning we adventured - the US, Florida, Clearwater Beach a couple of times and as you’d expect numerous visits to the Isle of Man.
A place I feel a pull too also, Annabelle and I would love to have a property on the Island in the next few years.
We cycled together regularly walked around the orchard , gardened together and went on local and far adventures in various cars including taking her to The Revival at Goodwood, we all enjoyed life to the extreme, mum had many friends and even met a gent, living next to us we had the perfect setup the odd kickoff but life in general was perfect.
Then just over 2 years ago Mum retired, 4 months after everything changed, and we had to be the strongest we’d ever been.
Many of you have likely noticed we weren’t writing as frequently and pulled away at points, firstly it wasn’t Hive or the fabulous community we’d become a part of.
Mum was our priority and strategising to form the best plan, at points it was touch and go, or that’s how it seemed, waiting for results etc. - Mum had been diagnosed with Cancer, firstly one case then 2 simultaneously 2 separate cases, over a number of months, interestingly they weren’t linked a super rare thing.
We started attending various appointments we lost track at just under 80 visits to Lancaster, Kendal and Preston Hospitals. We were in a unique position due to Planetauto we were able to utilise our press cars to offer mum never ending journeys in interesting vehicles.
This was a massive boon, thank you to all the UK manufacturers who supported us and moved cars, gave us cars when we couldn’t attend events.
This went on for some months Chemo, Radio therapy and the ops, she was declared clear rung the bell and we started to help her enjoy life once again, trips to my brother etc.
She had succumbed to a few side effects but nothing too serious and things that in time would likely reverse.
Up until around a month ago, she was enjoying life, bit narked by neuropathy in her finger tips then within a month mum aged 15 years I’d say, Hazel was no longer able to wander, didn’t want to eat and started withdrawing under the guise of “I want to be more independent” - alarm bells rang.
Paramedics were called who essentially said she was not poorly enough for hospital, and couldn’t be admitted - so they left and we contacted the GP who reversed this and she went into RLI, the Cancer had returned and in the hospitals words, was everywhere - 8 days later she was gone, and Annabelle and I saw her leave on her next journey universe bound ‘ we are all energy’, back to source she went leaving just a vessel - I broke down, everyone was teary around her hospital bed.
A few days have passed and I’m feeling this is the right time to inform all our friends, end of an era - however she lives on in our memories and our Planetauto YouTube.
We were glad we were there to support and love her in this unexpected final journey | Love you Mum, RIP