Thursday, November 01, 2007

Grav

I'm sure the front page of tomorrow's Western Mail will be a tribute to Ray Gravell. I didn't know him very well. We had met about a dozen times - but Grav had a way of making you feel as if you were a good friend about two minutes into a first meeting. I loved the way he played his rugby - blasting through the centre like a charging bull. I loved his warmth, which in others would have seemed over effusive - but it was so obviously his natural manner. And I loved his Welshness, which was deep and genuine without conveying the slightest negativity against non Welsh speakers. And I loved his determination to live life to the full despite the illness from which he suffered. I'm not in the least surprised that his many close friends find his death as a deeply emotional loss. I hope the Western Mail do Grav justice tomorrow.

No comments: