I very much doubt if many readers of the blog have met Ed, or even know his name. He was born in Swindon in 1952 of parents who were among the many Polish refugees to settle in Britain after World War II. He died last week of cancer after a long illness and with great regret I will not be able to be at his funeral in St Thomas Moore Church today as I am overseas. Ed and Isla (who he married in 1986) were at the heart of social life in the Kennet Valley. We moved there 14 years ago from Surrey and within three months knew more people than we had met in three years of living in Surrey. In no small part that was down to the hospitality of Ed and Isla who were the catalysts for all social activity within the valley.
I remember one dinner at Baliszewski house where Ed quizzed me on my view of cricket and I ended up playing badly for the Kennet Valley team which he created to restore a missing aspect of village life. That cricket team was about social interaction, creating something that would centre village activity on a Sunday, bringing people together, getting them talking and doing things together.
Another Ed initiative led to the annual New Years Day west v east free to all and for all football and rugby matches for hung over adults and their children which are now an essential component of the valley's social life. Ed was the referee and his performance in that role was an entertainment in its own right. He should be credited with the invention of the two ball football match (one for children and women, one for all), an inspirational approach to social interaction.
He played chess and backgammon to professional standards, sat on various charity bodies and in general did whatever was necessary (and more) to create a living sense of community within the Kennet Valley and Lockeridge in particular. All communities need their Ed, we were fortunate to have one and the sense of loss on hearing of his death is impossible to describe.
He leaves behind a wife and three children (20, 18 & 11) who have asked that people wear colorful clothing for his funeral as as tribute to his wit, warmth and hospitality.
He was in a very real sense the essence of a gentle-man
Comments (3)
My sympathies to you on the sense of loss you obviously feel. Ed certainly sounds like a dynamo. Your description of him puts me in mind of another Ed I knew in Cape Town. Mayor of the town, businessman/entrepeneur, cricket player at the local club - member (and frequent chairman) of the committee, in fact.
He often used to say "If you want something done, give it to a busy man," and he was a living example of that maxim. It sounds as if your Ed was cast in the same mould.
I will say that I am glad his wife has taken that approach with the funeral. I was quite surprised that at the traditional black still worn at funerals in the UK (and such other European countries as I have visited). In South Africa, the bold colour approach is far more the norm. I wore bright purple to my father's funeral - he was a larger-than-life man, after all.
Posted by Karyn Romeis | February 27, 2008 10:47 AM
Posted on February 27, 2008 10:47
my name is alek, one of edward's two sons. he was a great father to me. he was allways there for me when i was down and he was someone i knew i could allways rely on. he was a great man with a great personality and charm so i am told. he is a great miss for all of us. it was a shame that he was not able to make my 13th birthday or my brothers 21st.he is a great miss and i think he would of loved his funeral.
Posted by alek | June 27, 2008 8:24 PM
Posted on June 27, 2008 20:24
Thanks for commenting Alek
We all miss him as he was was an incredible person and I was proud to count him as a friend and I know he must have been a great father.
Posted by Dave Snowden![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.cognitive-edge.com/blogs/dave/nav-commenters.gif)
|
June 28, 2008 12:50 AM
Posted on June 28, 2008 00:50