The Chronicler's Chronicle (c) 2011 by John Lerwill
Part 3 : The Interregnum
2007 had been a hectic but very happy year; not only had a major portion of the Villa archives reorganisation been achieved, but I had also acquired virtually all I needed to complete the writing of the book I had started research on two years before. Two magical years had slipped by in which I had been deeply absorbed into Aston Villa’s ancient past.
Doesn’t time go by quickly when you’re enjoying yourself?!
Although opportunities suddenly appeared for a return to the I.T. world as a technical writer in other parts of the country, it seemed to me that the Aston Villa route would be the most satisfying to pursue.
The interest and appreciation of the Villa management in what I had done emboldened me into considering putting forward proposals for what might next take place. The idea began to form that perhaps there would be an opportunity to move to Birmingham, but the idea was partly shelved when we learnt that my wife was in need of being hospitalised to have a dangerous operation. That was to take place later in the summer.
But, nevertheless, I put forward my proposals to Villa which included a two-stage approach four months from April, 2008 on the same commute basis from London as in 2007, to be followed by a contract on an employee basis for 30 months (which would necessitate us moving to Birmingham). I provided a detailed job description for the Club Historian and a plan of work and left Lee Preece to do what he could.
There was a pregnant pause while I was waiting for the result of my proposals, but it did not prevent Lee Preece announcing to the SCG that the Villa were trying to secure the services of John Lerwill to help in providing the basis for the setting up of a museum. Lee also told me that when General Krulak stated to him that a museum was a confirmed intention of Randy Lerner, Lee responded to the General that if that was to occur then an expert would be needed to help that dream come to fruition. His prompt had some affect by February, my proposals were accepted.
April came and the first part of my plan was due to start, but what transpired at that point was perhaps a warning of other negative things to come. It is a truism that when the snowball has started rolling down the hill it becomes difficult to pull it back.
I turned up at Villa Park but to be told that the payroll department had only just determined that I could not be paid as in 2007 as it brought up tax problems the role was going to become a permanent one in a few months and as that job was too similar Inland Revenue were likely to ask too many questions (in their opinion).
My response was that this situation had not been planned for and I would not be able to continue work until moving to Birmingham towards the end of the summer and on taking up the employee contract.
What happened then was (literally) a heart stopper. Events seemed to catch up with me at that point and I was not feeling too good. I had decided to stay in Birmingham for the rest of the week to further my research, but within a couple of days I was getting quite dizzy.
When walking up Bull Street one morning on my way to Villa Park, I was feeling very light headed and my eyesight was not so good. I must have looked a bit strange as I do remember a pleasant young lady coming up to me and asking me if I was alright.
That, at least, was a very bright moment in my day!!
I don’t know how but I slowed myself down and continued. I somehow got back to London the following day. To cut a long story short, the following week I was taken into hospital as an emergency with my heartbeat running at a dangerously low level. This was 2002 all over again, but worse.
Looking back on it now, it seems quite incredible that within a week I was home and virtually back to my old miserable self. The experts had decided I needed a pacemaker and so that is what they did. With the shake of a surgeons knife I had become roboticised!
What was a bit sad was that in the same week, the old jazzman and raconteur Humphrey Lyttleton was taken into the same hospital. He did not come out alive. What with him and Elizabeth Taylor (in 1959) and me having been patients at that hospital, they must have become a little tired with having to provide star treatment!!
The rest of the summer seemed to be spent in hospitals! A month after the event above described, I was packing for the impending house move and did something to my back. That required extensive treatment over some time. Then, in early August, my wife had to enter the London Heart Hospital, not for treatment on her heart but for another fairly major procedure. Because of my wife’s medical history the surgeon wanted to perform the procedure with the best heart equipment available just in case.
Three weeks after my wife’s exit from hospital we were looking for accommodation in Birmingham. At the very last throw of the dice we found the house we were happy with and moved up during September. My wife was still far from recovered from her ordeal and, indeed, took another seven months to recover. Our sons and her family were left behind in London (to my wife’s chagrin).
That is how we came to make the move to Birmingham, and, after experiencing all the above and responding (if you will permit me to say so) to Aston Villa’s call, I experienced the clubs instant ejection only 15 months later.
On the flimsiest of issues we were again thrown into penury. Who - in these adversely changing economic times - would take on an ex-football club historian at the age of 65 who had been dismissed?
To Come (t.b.a.): Part 4: My Time as Club Historian
.
Part 3 : The Interregnum
2007 had been a hectic but very happy year; not only had a major portion of the Villa archives reorganisation been achieved, but I had also acquired virtually all I needed to complete the writing of the book I had started research on two years before. Two magical years had slipped by in which I had been deeply absorbed into Aston Villa’s ancient past.
Doesn’t time go by quickly when you’re enjoying yourself?!
Although opportunities suddenly appeared for a return to the I.T. world as a technical writer in other parts of the country, it seemed to me that the Aston Villa route would be the most satisfying to pursue.
The interest and appreciation of the Villa management in what I had done emboldened me into considering putting forward proposals for what might next take place. The idea began to form that perhaps there would be an opportunity to move to Birmingham, but the idea was partly shelved when we learnt that my wife was in need of being hospitalised to have a dangerous operation. That was to take place later in the summer.
But, nevertheless, I put forward my proposals to Villa which included a two-stage approach four months from April, 2008 on the same commute basis from London as in 2007, to be followed by a contract on an employee basis for 30 months (which would necessitate us moving to Birmingham). I provided a detailed job description for the Club Historian and a plan of work and left Lee Preece to do what he could.
There was a pregnant pause while I was waiting for the result of my proposals, but it did not prevent Lee Preece announcing to the SCG that the Villa were trying to secure the services of John Lerwill to help in providing the basis for the setting up of a museum. Lee also told me that when General Krulak stated to him that a museum was a confirmed intention of Randy Lerner, Lee responded to the General that if that was to occur then an expert would be needed to help that dream come to fruition. His prompt had some affect by February, my proposals were accepted.
April came and the first part of my plan was due to start, but what transpired at that point was perhaps a warning of other negative things to come. It is a truism that when the snowball has started rolling down the hill it becomes difficult to pull it back.
I turned up at Villa Park but to be told that the payroll department had only just determined that I could not be paid as in 2007 as it brought up tax problems the role was going to become a permanent one in a few months and as that job was too similar Inland Revenue were likely to ask too many questions (in their opinion).
My response was that this situation had not been planned for and I would not be able to continue work until moving to Birmingham towards the end of the summer and on taking up the employee contract.
What happened then was (literally) a heart stopper. Events seemed to catch up with me at that point and I was not feeling too good. I had decided to stay in Birmingham for the rest of the week to further my research, but within a couple of days I was getting quite dizzy.
When walking up Bull Street one morning on my way to Villa Park, I was feeling very light headed and my eyesight was not so good. I must have looked a bit strange as I do remember a pleasant young lady coming up to me and asking me if I was alright.
That, at least, was a very bright moment in my day!!
I don’t know how but I slowed myself down and continued. I somehow got back to London the following day. To cut a long story short, the following week I was taken into hospital as an emergency with my heartbeat running at a dangerously low level. This was 2002 all over again, but worse.
Looking back on it now, it seems quite incredible that within a week I was home and virtually back to my old miserable self. The experts had decided I needed a pacemaker and so that is what they did. With the shake of a surgeons knife I had become roboticised!
What was a bit sad was that in the same week, the old jazzman and raconteur Humphrey Lyttleton was taken into the same hospital. He did not come out alive. What with him and Elizabeth Taylor (in 1959) and me having been patients at that hospital, they must have become a little tired with having to provide star treatment!!
The rest of the summer seemed to be spent in hospitals! A month after the event above described, I was packing for the impending house move and did something to my back. That required extensive treatment over some time. Then, in early August, my wife had to enter the London Heart Hospital, not for treatment on her heart but for another fairly major procedure. Because of my wife’s medical history the surgeon wanted to perform the procedure with the best heart equipment available just in case.
Three weeks after my wife’s exit from hospital we were looking for accommodation in Birmingham. At the very last throw of the dice we found the house we were happy with and moved up during September. My wife was still far from recovered from her ordeal and, indeed, took another seven months to recover. Our sons and her family were left behind in London (to my wife’s chagrin).
That is how we came to make the move to Birmingham, and, after experiencing all the above and responding (if you will permit me to say so) to Aston Villa’s call, I experienced the clubs instant ejection only 15 months later.
On the flimsiest of issues we were again thrown into penury. Who - in these adversely changing economic times - would take on an ex-football club historian at the age of 65 who had been dismissed?
To Come (t.b.a.): Part 4: My Time as Club Historian
.
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