ECCLES SAYS FAREWELL TO LOCAL LEGEND TED EDWARDS

Friends of Ted Edwards gathered today at the Chapel in Peel Green Cemetery to say their final goodbyes to a truly remarkable man, he had been amongst other things, an author, musician, actor, teacher, cartoonist, coal miner, explorer, raconteur and trainee cosmonaut to name but a few,

Ged Todd welcomed the congregation and spoke lovingly of Ted and the number of years he had known him with tales of folk clubs, music, beer and real friendship which was obvious to see.

In an Eulogy delivered by his good friend Phil Cusack I learnt so much about Ted, his early life in Hindley Wigan, his army service exploits including one hair raising but hilarious tale of how Ted scrounged a flight home on a Canberra bomber from Berlin and almost dropped a nuclear bomb on Europe, by accident obviously, his appearance on television shows as a media darling following his exploits when he was exploring the Sahara Desert and almost died of dehydration and his subsequent books that followed, the most amazing man who I wish I had gotten to know better, Phil you did him proud. 

Bob Marshall another close friend of Teds had us in stitches with his memories of him and Ted, turning up a week early for a folk festival down South, driving home to Eccles and forgetting they had a French hitch hiker they had picked up in the back of the van who was heading for North Wales, he was dropped off in Irlam and pointed in the rough direction of North Wales, I think it's best to draw a discreet veil on the poaching of Deer in Tatton Park for legal reasons.

The music for the service was a recording of Ted singing his self penned songs including, Come on Lad, Coal Hole Calvary and Ladybird, the latter being covered by Ewan McColl no less.just yet another example of his prowess.

I must add that and I believe this to be true that Ted was buried wearing his cosmonaut suit, Ghurka sword in his right hand, and surrounded by ceremonial daggers. going out in style there Ted.

As Ted was lowered into the ground he had requested that the congregation should read his poem, Testament a lovely reflection on life and how we should enjoy it.

I will leave the last word to Frank Birchenough another good friend of Teds who sadly couldn't make the service but spoke lovingly of him in a conversation I had with last night, he said.

Quote

 

"I certainly do not know of anyone else I ever met who wrote songs with Ewan MacColl, walked across the empty quarter of the Sahara and across Iceland just for starters.

I asked Ted in the Duke why it was so difficult to walk across Iceland, and he said "because it is a weathered volcanic landscape, and it is like trying to walk across a bloody big bowl of cracked Cornflakes you daft bugger" He also said being in a bar in Iceland and listening to the locals sounded very much like "being in a pub full of drunken Wiganers"

 

Ted you may have gone but one thing is for certain you will never be forgotten .

Raise a glass to Ted tonight, I certainly will... Cheers for everything