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Michelle

Michelle and I met and obviously got on well, in October 1991, through an ad in the local newspaper.  After a good  while dating, we decided to live together as a complete family, and Michelle joined the Goode household .
 
After a few years, I noticed that Michelle's genetic illness (Myotonic Dystrophy) http://www.ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/myotonic-dystrophy  was getting the better of her.  I saw that she was getting up, going to work a long shift, getting home, shower, eat and straight to bed - with no time at all for herself, due to exhaustion.  So I convinced her to finish work, to try to give her a better quality of life.

 

This worked well, despite the obvious financial constraints and we had another couple of good years.  Eventually, it became obvious that she was struggling more and more, to the point at which I decided it was time for me to finish working, so I could care for her full time, as her illness took a stronger hold.

We made the best of what we had and enjoyed our lives, doing many things that she never thought would be possible.  With lots of help from her very close friend, Angie Handley, she enjoyed a lot of good times.
 
We decided to marry in 1999, but with both having been married before and our respective partners letting us down, we decided that the traditional route wouldn't mean the same.  So we hatched a cunning plan ….. to have a service at the Mallory Park motor racing circuit  near Hinckley, Leicestershire.
 
Plans were made, favours called in and lots of voluntary help was given by many family and friends - total strangers too.
 
I was still racing at this time, so we decided, with some marvellous assistance from the NEW ERA racing club, David Overend at Mallory Park (and many other people who gave us their support) to hold the service on a race day.  What follows is a rough outline of how the weekend went;
 
The Saturday night before

My sister, Susan, who lives in Surrey, arranged for her husband and son's fabulous band, Randy & the Rockets (find them on Facebook and Youtube) to play for us and boy, did they.  Lifted the roof.
 
Sunday

Started as a normal race day-  scrutinizing of bikes and gear, practice etc. 1st race completed,  then back to the paddock and check that all was in place for the "Big Event", taking place during the lunch break.
 
Racing finished for 45minute lunch and both the best man (James Luck) and I rode our race bikes slowly around the track, to the start line, where we waited, astride our machines, with the wonderful, Reverend Jay Phelps (who turned up on his own bike, complete in leather jacket and dog collar.  
 
Michelle duly arrived, in a small convoy of cars, in traditional style and was assisted/escorted from her car (wearing a lovely white wedding dress, courtesy of my eldest sister Jackie) by her brother, Steven. The  bridesmaids (Michelle's niece, Leanne, Angie’s daughter Kym and friend Mandy Jackson), all wore white t-shirts & blue jeans and looked very good. 
 
The ceremony went ahead, on the start/finish line, without a hitch.  When over, both Michelle

and I took a lap of honour in a racing sidecar outfit, courtesy of Mr Halliday and Holland (who

went on to clinch the title later that day).  The driver took the outfit around, while I sat on the

back of the unit, with my hand around Michelle's shoulders, holding her steady as she kneeled

on cushions in the passenger section.  It was a wonderful feeling, being cheered on by a few

thousand people in the crowd, as well as all the marshalls at their posts waving all the flags too.
 
We completed our lap of honour and at the start line, Michelle and I were chatting to the media

coverage, tv/radio/newspapers.  We got separated, as I chatted to the radio man.  Michelle was

getting ready to start the next race with a flag wave and I noticed engines running, then realised...

I should be in this race!!!  I left the radioman standing and sprinted to the pit lane, where good

friend Ian had my bike and gear up and running, ready. Unfortunately, the pit lane crew wouldn't

let me out onto the track, as the grid had already left.

 

I begged and pleaded to be let out. They eventually said that although I couldn't start the race, I

could join the race as they went past on the first lap.  So I left, dead last, on a mission.  A couple of

laps later, I was catching up to the next to last man, when my own machine started misfiring.

Another lap and I was out of the race, so just pulled over.  Unfortunately, Michelle noticed I was

missing and asked a marshal why?  She was told I had crashed on the far side of the circuit and so

was relieved when I got back to disprove that.
 
The rest of the day went very well, but in a flash.  We had a reception at the hotel on the circuit,

with food etc. all laid on and a wonderful cake made by my younger sister Sharon.  This consisted

of the bottom tier being a map of the whole circuit, including buildings (even the bogs lol)  and the

second layer being a wavy chequered flag, topped off with some cute models lol.


 
Everyone who attended said that they enjoyed it very much and many,many thanks must go to all who helped make it happen and I am very sorry, to those I may have omitted to mention on here.
 
And so, married life was wonderful... but!  as mentioned before, Michelle sadly passed away in my arms, with pneumonia on January 26th 2009, after a couple of weeks of illness.

 

 She was a very loving and devoted wife, lovely stepmom to my children who she treated as her own, and one of the most generous people (in many ways) I have ever met.
 
She will always be remembered and loved deeply, not only by myself, but everyone who had ever met her, and she will accompany me on this trip as she requested, in my heart mind and soul..... XXX

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