Andy Holden - Eulogies (23/01/2014)

The Funeral of Andy Holden took place yesterday. A very large attendence filled the church and many more were left outside as there was not enough room. Moving and fitting tributes were made to the great man by Father John Reid, Peter "Geno" Griffiths & Tom, Andy's eldest son, on behalf of the family.

For those not able to get into the church to listen, or were unable to attend, we are able to reproduce the essence of them here.

Father John Reid (His detailed notes for the Eulogy given at his Requiem Mass)

"How to describe Andy, in words? I asked the immediate family, gathered in the house.

Humble. Kind. Thoughtful. A people person. Generous. Supportive. Loyal. Stubborn. Never admit he was wrong. Opinionated. Proud. Caring. Loving, but not soppy. Funny, dry, - even thirsty. Open. Stinky feet, better over the years. Hardworking. Never sat still. Miserable when injured. Filled every hour. Compassionate.

Examples of his big heart:

- Snicky: on a run, Andy spotted a floundering pup in the canal, bricks round its neck. Andy couldn't leave it, pulled it out, - and had a faithful companion on many a run.

- The landlord of certain pub had a bad toothache but was scared of going to the dentist. Andy saw him walking past his surgery, grabbed his dentist's kit bag, grabbed a dental nurse, followed the landlord round to the pub, pinned him against the wall under the dartboard spotlight, gave him a mouthful of whisky and yanked the tooth out. Political correctness how are you!

- For four years Andy organised the huge Open Christmas held in some sort of concrete hall for hundreds of down and outs and homeless people back in the 70's and 80's, roping in various friends without any pressure, - and continued helping out there for another ten years.

What were Andy's skills?

- Steeplechase, marathons, road -races, cross-country, fell-running, and latterly coaching, with 'no need for qualifications', - as well as being a full-time Dentist with two surgeries, one in Solihull the other in Yardley Wood, doing a 10mile lunchtime run from one to the other, stopping only for two pints of Hansons, with a spray of Gold Spot before afternoon surgery. All this as well as the wife, four kids, dog and a Sports shop, - and never missed a Sunday Mass.

- The ability to stand on his head in the bar and down/up a pint in one. Reputed to have drunk ten pints the evening before winning the Bermuda marathon.

- A skill few of you are aware of, except the six on a 62 foot steel canal boat, driven at twice the legal speed by Andy who never drove cars, was the ability to hit one very solid tree on the bank, bounce off, instantly smashing six full sets of crockery, not admit it was his fault, and then early next morning run off with a knapsack to the nearest town and return with six full replacement sets.

What were his interests?

- Tipton Harriers, running and coaching, more will be said by others.

- His reading ranged from Science Fiction to Tom Sharp to Shakespeare, with his life-long bible: the Good Beer Guide.

- Cartoons: Giles, Andy Capp, Spitting Image. Andy spoke little of politics, but he bought Snicky a rubber toy to chew: a Margaret Thatcher.

- The Mirror, the Guardian and the Crossword daily, - with a wide general knowledge.

- Blues, Jazz, Rock'n'Roll, Folk, Blue Grass, Dylan, with a tape for every year of the 60's, - and the only man to have a Juke Box in his home.

- He supported Preston North End, Wigan Rugby League and Lancashire County Cricket Club.

- Travelling: the campervan, Spain, France, Switzerland, Italy, Australia and New Zealand.

- Walking in the Lake District, - he loved it.

- And one you may not know about: daily he bought a block of mild cheddar cheese, - for the garden birds.

As a personal friend, going back to 1976:

- Andy was the only man whose marriage preparation I conducted in three different brewery taps.

- Two years ago when I was laid up but had a chauffeur, - Andy always had a chauffeur, - four or five times I rang Andy: Where do you recommend for good food and good cask-conditioned? Bartons Arms, Bulls Head, New Inn, Black Eagle, Fountain. – never at a loss.

- Once I told Andy how guilty I felt running past a man on a zimmer on our road. Andy: No, John, you owe it to him.

- And once he shared his recurring nightmare: to win selection for the Olympics he had to come in the top three at this marathon, being run along a sandy embankment. All was well, Andy was well placed, until a call of nature came. No problem, down the bank, down with the shorts, job done, - and then the nightmare: Andy clawing at the sandy soil as runner after runner went past, - with him finishing just outside the places.

Andy in the family:

As Dad: inspirational; someone to live up to; he'd make you run to the Nursery: Come on, Charlie! – at 4 years old; Joe at 11 fell over on a session: Get up, Tipton toughies don't cry; he never shouted at us; gentle; he was good cop to mum's bad cop; he'd moan to us about her; he wouldn't control you, he'd just set an example; he was a dentist but he didn't care about us not doing our teeth; up at 6.00am making our sandwiches, - and still making us dinner until recently; he once did Mike's paper round when he was ill;

Very welcoming and kind to Cath. And Hayley kept a secret from behind the hatch: before Andy bought the rest a round he would first down a half of Snowflake, - at 8% S.G., - as a base layer. Liz: a lovely brother, you couldn't wish for better.

As a husband: he wouldn't expect you to have cooked; very helpful and supportive with the kids, - as long as it fitted round his running; not the easiest person to live with. What did Paula love most in Andy: his humble, selfless nature.

In sum:

Andy: loyal to Paula and the kids; loyal to us his friends, never changing; loyal to Tipton Harriers and to his amateur status; loyal to his profession and NHS always; loyal to Real Ale, - his health supplement; and loyal to God and to his Catholic faith, - and he never imposed it on anyone except himself.

Andy: a man of many talents and gifts, which he carried so lightly."

Peter "Geno" Griffiths - Eulogy from a life long friend

"Andy was the best kind of friend you could have, he stood by you through thick and thin. At my last visit, he said he was seven pounds under his racing weight and might make a comeback to racing; he got the thin....you can see who got the thick! He was an accomplished runner when he came to Birmingham University in 1968. Training with the Lancashire stalwarts like Colin Robinson, Mike Freary, Frank Briscoe and Ron Hill when he was a youngster; first covering 100 miles in a week when he was 16.

University coach Mike Hayes asked me to look out for this wisp of a lad with a shock of red hair, at Freshers' week [ when newcomers signed up for the clubs they were interested in] and to help him settle in. Some hope of that!, no sooner had he registered and gone for a quick seven, than he was off to join associates at the Leeds University Mountain hut in the Lake District for pre season training, friendships that were sustained by meeting up regularly, at the Test matches in Leeds and Old Trafford.

We hit it off from the start and soon I had got Andy appointed as my deputy as Sports Editor for the student Union newspaper Redbrick, taking over from me as editor in my final year. This was great as we both had a Press card, which enabled us to attend football matches at the Villa and Blues, cricket at Edgbaston, Rugby at Moseley,etc.

Andy was a real sports lover, but the success of the Wales Rugby team exasperated him in the early 70's when they always seem to get the better of his Northern heroes Fran Cotton, Billy Beaumont and the like; as we watched the matches in the Dental hospital lounge. Of course, this was moderated by the great team exploits of the England Cross Country team of which he was often a member and won the International team title in 1971.

These press passes also gained us access to all the concerts in Birmingham theatres and at the Union , so he was able to indulge his love of music from the likes of Cream, Canned Heat, Kinks, Family, Beach Boys etc. though his first love was the blues of Jimmy Witherspoon, Muddy Walters and Leadbelly.

On the dance floor, he would give Mick Jagger a run for his money as he strutted his stuff in very similar style.

Andy took a keen interest in student life, joining in the week long sit in at the Great Hall, in the late 60's, campaigning for student membership of the Board of Governors of the University, something students take for granted these days. He was also active in the Rag week fundraising for charity, when he helped organise a non -stop 72hr bridge game to be played in Lewis's Department store shop window. Dragooning half the cross country squad to play, he calmly left us to it on Sat afternoon whilst going to Cosford, winning his 3000m indoor race and returning for 5.00pm.and completing the game, raising a large sum for the homeless. Later on, he opposed apartheid, Basil Dolivera was refused entry to South Africa with the touring cricket team.

His arrival at the University, together with Mal Thomas from TVH, catapulted the University into a different league, with new concepts like twice a day training, running to and from races at Wast Hills, 100 miles a week and the notorious Manor Park rep sessions. Whilst University races had transport provided, he often found himself hitching to events like the County Championships or AAA. We would hitch up to Ron Hill's in Romiley, go for a training run, help Ron's wife Mary pack parcels and take them to the post office, then head on up to Leyland to his home.

On one occasion Andy and some fellow internationals were going for a ten. They were nearing home along the Hagley Rd.in Birmingham having been out for 51 minutes when Andy gasped to Peter, who had put the hammer down, "Pete, slow down or it won't be a ten!"

He was notorious for missing the start of the National, still taking his tracksters off, checking his spikes or passing water when the gun went off. His characteristic style was working through the field, encouraging the rest of the team to stick with him as he sought to catch the leaders. This was not the case when he won the Junior National at Parliament Hill in 1969. He was running scared that day, not of Dave Bedford who finished 4 secs behind him, but of my mother as he and teammate John Harrison had stayed at ours the night before.

He was more attentive on the track, starting with the field, which enabled him to break the British record [3000m steeplechase 1972] and qualify for the Olympics in 1972, only missing out for qualifying in 1976 by one place. His record for the Gale Fell Race stood for 26yrs and his Two Bridges Race Record still stands today.

Andy was always a great team man, carrying that Northern work ethic with him when he joined Tipton in 1973. As you know, he enjoyed the après running too; organising many Easter trips to the Isle of Man festival, where prodigious feats of running and re-hydrating were attempted. His party piece of downing a pint whilst standing on his head, was surpassed by drinking a pint of soy sauce. Needless to say, later at the Grand, the band Mud belting out Tiger Feet were unable to keep pace with him.

His successful dentistry career was evidenced by people coming from far afield to receive his services. At times, just before lunchtime, the waiting room seemed log jammed with GB athletes ready to join him for a 5 or 7miler. He believed in the National Health Service and never took to private treatment. He worked for many years in the schools dentist service trying to make sure that kids' oral health was looked after. He did home visits to the elderly and infirm, adjusting dentures with heat from a gas cooker and on one occasion doing a passable temporary fix with a gas poker!

He was always willing to help out and give of his time for his club Tipton Harriers, Midland Counties and particularly the homeless charity, then called Crisis at Christmas, which he and Paula organised for a few years. He was never one to pass by on the other side when someone was in need of help. This may explain why he was regarded with such affection all over the country and beyond. Wherever he landed there was a friend to call on, a runner to train with, an acquaintance to share stories with. His enthusiasm was infectious.

Today our friend Andy would want to be a celebration,! Yes, even a party!; but our challenge for tomorrow is to get back to the hard work and see that his life's work goes on.

Tom Holden - Andy's eldest son spoke on behalf of his children & family

"Thanks Geno. I would now like to talk about Andy as a family man, a loving husband, an inspirational father but still a very good friend.

When we met up to talk last week, Geno joked that everything changed after my parents got married. I guess it was a new chapter in his life and he certainly took his fatherly and husbandly duties very seriously, but knowing my mother, I can only assume that after the wedding she sat him and down and told him 'Now that you are married you are going to have to start behaving yourself'.

I have heard numerous stories from many different sources about my parents wedding, how unorthodox and how much fun it was. And I am sure the day filled my Dad with great pride and happiness, however, the only thing he ever used to tell me about is how he ordered two barrels of his favourite beer for the wedding reception. Following the wedding service being the polite and well-mannered person that he was he went round chatting to and thanking all guests. By the time he reached the bar he discovered much to his horror and seemingly eternal regret that all the beer was gone. I learnt a lot from this story, It was certainly not a mistake I made at my own wedding.

As I know you are all aware, Andy is a complete running obsessive. Some of my earliest memories are going to watch my Dad don the green and white hoops of Tipton Harriers. He would often tell me with great pride about how he took me to watch my first race, The Tipton 10, at the tender age of 2 weeks. That same day I became the youngest member of Tipton Harriers. Many of my happiest childhood days were spent at Sutton Park, venue for National and Midland Road Relays. I remember standing at Keepers Pool and feeling the excitement as the lead bike approached with Dad chasing it down, joining in the roar of the spectators as he passed. There is no wonder that Joe, Mike and I all followed in his footsteps and developed an equal passion for running and athletics.

As a dedicated father and husband, he was always keen for us to spend the weekends doing family activities. However, he didn't let this get in the way of his two favourite pastimes, running and drinking. The solution was simple; he would go for a long run ending up in a pub somewhere in the Shropshire countryside, leaving my Mum to round up 4 energetic and often troublesome toddlers, seating us all in the van and drive there to meet him. We spent many a happy Sunday afternoon playing football and cricket in beer gardens.

I never remember him being ill when we grew up, but this was probably because he never wanted to burden others. 'Remember there's always someone worse off than yourself' was one of his favourite sayings. Instead he would smile and make a joke. On the last occasion we went to visit him in hospital we went in and whilst me and Mum were talking to the Nurse, he called over Joe. He said to him 'Listen Joe, the Doctors have told me I'm going to have an operation. My belly has swollen too big and they are going to have to do something about it.' Then he looked at Joe up and down and said 'If I was you I would watch out in this place'. Goodness knows what he would have said to Mike if he had been there.

As a father, Dad was an inspiration and a role model. Though he never lectured us he had a clear moral code. Treat others how you would like to be treated yourself. Look out for people who are in more need than yourself. Be polite and courteous and always thankful when someone does something for you. He wasn't one for shouting and discipline, he left that up to mum. His method of Fathering was to set the perfect example. He was incredibly Loving, not in an openly expressive way with hugs and kisses, but in the way he talked and listened to us. He was always generous, not just in buying us things that we needed, but also with his time and attention. There is no surprise he became an NHS dentist and started to coach when he stopped competing seriously. I know he gained as much satisfaction from helping and developing other people as he did from his own achievements. I've learned and copied so many things from Dad and I hope that when I become a father I can have at least a fraction of the impact on my children as he had on us. That's what he was like. He inspired and improved people. He made them want to improve and inspire others still. He created an upwards spiral of positivity. That will be his true legacy. He was a great man and we were lucky enough to call him Dad."


Geno remarked afterwards "What a fantastic turn out today as we celebrated Andy's life. So many old friends, world class runners, local people, work colleagues and his fantastic family! We must all seek to ensure that the work at the club, the projects he engaged in, the causes he espoused and the stories of his life, live on to inspire the new generation."