From the crack of cold dawn,
With a wheelbarrow trudging along,
On roads bitten by frost,
He would whistle on his way to work.
This gentle man,
A voice husky with Irish gold,
He would smile and talk,
His kindness for one and all.
One winter’s day, on a crowded bus,
He got up and made room
for my Mother and my Aunt,
He cemented his humanity into all of us.
The local kids knew him,
The streets and roads knew him,
We all knew him,
And he was trusted by all who knew him.
Tonight, the streets are silent,
Tonight, the tarmac is wet with tears,
Tonight, there is a song in heaven,
Tonight, a gentle man has left us.
NOTE:
There's some sad news coming in tonight about a local man from Small Heath who passed away in Heartlands Hospital (formerly East Birmingham Hospital).
'Paddy' Eamon Makneanon was a legend of Small Heath. He would often be seen walking along Green Lane, or Charles Road, or down in Bordesley Green, with his tools piled inside his wheelbarrow at the crack of dawn.
He worked long and hard, and he would often stop and chat with the local people. Everyone knew him, young and old, black or white, he was one of us.
There's a whole generation of kids who grew up with Paddy always in the background of their lives. I would often see him on my way to school, and he was always caring and funny, and he respected everyone.
May his gentle soul rest in peace.