Doddie Weir

[Bobfly]

Gone today, aged only 52. Achieved so much in recent years. RIP.  Very sad.

[Wildfisher]

I think he survived a lot longer than most expected..

[Bobfly]

He looked terribly thinned out at Murrayfield but still spirited. Our neighbour died of MND a few years ago and faded away quickly. A nasty disease.

[Wildfisher]

The late Dr Ian Brooker of Aberdeen (he was also the GP on Fair Isle in his younger days)  was a friend of mine I got to know via the SRGC and I remember him telling me his brother Bill was a victim of MND.

Both brothers were well known Scottish mountaineers, Ian did the first ascent of Mt. Brooker in South Georgia, told me all about it. His brother Bill was THE Bill Brooker famed for his exploits on Lochnagar and the Cairngorms. First time I went to the Himalayas Ian and his wife Marie (also a mountaineer) were in our party. Both were in their 70s then. Remarkable people and sadly missed.

Ian had a dry sense of humour. Back then in 1995 Japanese Encephalitis was a concern in Nepal. I asked Ian for his advice on avoiding this to which he answered "stay clear of  the Japanese". 

[Inchlaggan]

I watched the Mad Giraffe play many a time, from his Stew-Mel (my school) days onward.
Two tries in a game against the All Blacks? Not many on that list.
Nigel Starmer-Smith crying him "George" in commentary.
Met him in a hotel bar in Rome, 2am, after an International, great stories that he was happy to share.
RIP

[Bobfly]

A fine full page obit in The Times today. Some of his black humour:-

I always say I'm 6ft 6inches because any taller and you're in the freak zone.

Expected to last two years or so ... having reached three  "the only people who I think are upset about three years in are my trustees. They thought they were only signing up for six months." He went for six years.

Talking of Prof Stephen Hawking who had MND ... "I'd have loved to meet him. He could have explained black holes. I could have explained lineout codes. One and the same really."