First Fruits

Brand new solo track now uploaded to Soundcloud and You Tube:

Soundcloud - search for User : cheesemaker1
http://www.soundcloud.com/cheesemaker-1

You Tube - search for : Andy Paradise


Links don't seem to work on this bloody thing.

More soon
Andy

NEW MUSIC ON THE WAY

Well finally, after a few...delays...I am prepared and ready to begin recording on two fronts. Firstly, next Monday 6th February will hopefully see the beginning of recording for the next Cheesemakers long player, loosely titled 'Hard Freeze'.

And secondly, on Friday night gone I commenced recording on the next solo offering, the follow up to 'Words Falling On The Page'. This album has a title but I'm keeping it to myself for now.

As I've made predictions down the years that expire and get laughed at, I shall make no such predictions here, but will say they'll be out when they're out and not before.

As for how great they will be, that's guaranteed folks! :O)

Ciao For Now, Andy x

Vintage Cheesemakers Relics No.1

Been doing a lot of digging recently and keep coming up with loads of old Cheesemakers printed ephemera and have decided to scan anything of real interest and publish them here from time to time. Some real gems I'm sure you'll agree. You have to have been there of course to get the benefit. More soon.

a) Promo print issued in 2002 featuring Frankie Dodgers cracking caricature. Just love Jim on this, how shifty does he look?

b) first print test of 'things explode every day' live ep, recorded at Buddle Arts Centre. Whole show was recorded and was pretty good apart from Come Out at the beginning where the bass was out of tune.

c ) front and back pages of Promotional Booklet from 2002, pretty good gear really for our level.

These would always go at gigs, so we were doing something right

d ) and the 2 inner pages. These were printed on quite heavy stock card and were a BASTARD to get through a printer.

more soon...Andy

Vickys Eulogy

Quite a few people have asked me for a copy of what I said in the church and I have no qualms about publishing it here because I wanted no-one to leave that room with any doubt about how Vicky and I felt about eachother right up until we were parted and how we felt about the magnitude of the vows we made when we were married in that same room 17 years ago.

The photo here is roughly about when Vicky and I got together, around when we were 17-ish, to give you an idea of how long we've been inseperable.

This is what I said in the church:

"For a man of words like myself, as you can imagine, I have written and re-written this dozens of times and you’ll have to be patient with me no doubt over the next few minutes. There is so much to say about and to Vicky and it seems so little time to do it. Where do I start?

I have to say that over the last week and a bit, that I have had literally hundreds of people, from all around the world saying that they are sorry for my loss. And that is beautiful and correct at this time. But I would like to say to you, while you are all here in one place. That I am so sorry for YOUR loss. The amount of people here today is testament to how Vicky affected people’s lives.
Just have a look around for a moment to see all the people that Vicky touched.

Life is all about decisions and where those decisions take you. Like the decision Vicky and I made to come to this church and be married in July 1994.

People say this at virtually every funeral and memorial service, but it has never carried more resonance than it does today when I say that Vicky was the most selfless, loving, considerate, compassionate and absolutely fabulous person I have ever known. I’m bound to say this of course, but most of you in this room will feel that as well, which is the real proof.
Vicky was a genuinely good person who lived her life mainly to be of benefit to others both in her personal life and her professional life, saving the children of Gateshead along with her beloved team-mates, all of whom are with us today as they loved her so much.

Vicky filled all of our lives with so much joy and laughter and these are the things we must try and remember in due course. At this point I was going to say 'please don’t ever forget her', but I don't think there's much chance of that, is there?

A word for Val. They say no mother should outlive her children, and this is of course true. Just know, that I’m always here for you, as you have been for me, not just over the last couple of months but also over the years.

And I’m so proud of my girls, Charlotte and Gabrielle, for the way they have faced up to this most terrible of situations. Your Mam will be bursting with pride at this moment.
I promise to try and fill the hole that’s been left in your lives as best I can. No man can replace a Mother’s love, but I shall try.

So as I mentioned at the start, Vicky and I made the decision to come here to be married in July 1994 and we’ve had 17 wonderful years, I’ll treasure and remember every day we had.

On that day we took solemn vows: to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part. And today, Vicky, we have succesfully completed all of those vows.

And now I must say goodbye to Vicky. She truly was a wonderful wife, she was my one and only soul-mate, my best friend, love of my life and rose of my heart and I shall miss her every day of the rest of my life in ways you can’t possibly imagine.

The greatest comfort of all that I will take with me is that I was able to be with Vicky in her final moments. I was able to wrap my arms around her and hold her and I knew she knew it was me and that she could hear me. The last words she heard were, ‘I’m here for you, don’t be frightened, I’ve got you, I’ve got you’.

Goodbye Vicky, I will love you forever."

Vicky Update Thursday 22nd September

Hello everyone

Thanks for all the messages of support, truly astonishing. I shall never forget everyone who is helping me and my girls through this.

Here is the entry that was placed in the Shields Gazette tonight by myself, thought would be handy to those out of the area. It also has details of the service if you wish to come.

"FERGUSON (South Shields) Victoria Elizabeth (Vicky) tragically, suddenly but peacefully in her husband's arms aged only 42, on Friday September 16, at South Tyneside Hospital. Darling wife and soul-mate of Andy and precious Mam to Charlotte and Gabrielle. A truly wonderful person whose life has been cruelly cut short for reasons I will never understand. We miss you like words cannot describe and you leave an enormous hole in our lives. Thank you for everything you gave to us, the love, devotion and care you shared with us alone. At least you're back with your Dad again, one blessing in all of this. "I'll clear an avenue just for you, a path with silent sound." Chapel of Rest Co-op Funeralcare, Westoe Road from Thursday, close family only please. Funeral service Monday September 26, at St. Hilda's, South Shields, Market Place at 1.30pm followed by Crematorium for committal at 2.30pm then on to Hedworth Hall, Dean Road, South Shields around 3.15pm for celebration of Vicky's life, where all will be welcome. Family flowers only, donations to South Tyneside Hospital. I.T.U. Unit and Ward 8."

There is also a page which runs on the Gazettes website for the next 11 months where you can post messages, photos, memories etc. I should be very grateful if you wanted to share anything.

I want to collect as many photos of Vicky as I can to compile an album.

Gazette link - https://announce.jpress.co.uk/11603043

If this doesn't work, just go to shieldsgazette.com then onto announcements and search Vickys name and you'll find it.

Thanks again everyone
Andy x

Vicky Update Saturday 17th September

Hi everyone

I think many of you will have heard this news already but here is a short message from myself.

It is with the very greatest sadness and heaviest heart I have ever known that I have to tell you that last night on Friday 16th September at 8.15pm, my beloved wife, soul-mate, best friend, love of my life and rose of my heart, Vicky, passed away peacefully in my arms.

I was able to tell her, with her last breaths that I was there for her, as I had promised, for her not to be frightened, to visit me in my dreams and the last words she heard me say were, 'I've got you, I've got you...'

She is simply irreplaceable and was everything to me. I am bereft.

Thanks for the messages and visits so far

I shall post more early next week regarding 'arrangements'.

Andy

Vicky Update - Saturday 3rd September

Hi chaps. Well not a great deal has changed since last Saturday. The main improvement we've seen this week has been that Vicky has been in a medical chair for a few hours each day. This is to try and make her breathing stronger and more independent, which in time, will allow them to make more progress with the physio program.

Last couple of days she's been very tired and rarely awake, just sleeping, but very low on energy.

As I mentioned last week there are still many dangers with her condition and they are today investigating a new infection in her lungs. To you and I it's a chest infection, to Vicky it's potentially far worse. The people on the Ward have been good, I have to trust them. I have to trust them with my wife's life and future, and also that of my daughters, which is very hard to deal with. I'm used to being able to keep tabs on everything, but i feel kind of helpless really at the moment. Waiting. It's not something I do best. 'As I wait for your smile'.....

On to a visiting update. My view is that the style of visiting has to change a little. Because the emphasis from the hospital has been in recent days that a lot of the recovery is now actually up to Vicky, in terms of getting her limbs, body and brain moving, I'd like you to emphasize to Vicky the importance of motivation and telling her that she has to respond to what they ask her to do if she wants to get home. This is what I've been telling her for the last three weeks but I need you to join in also. Of course telling her of gossip and recent events and general chat is still good and looking back at personal experiences you've had together is all still relevant, I feel the time has come to try and impress to Vicky that she's gotta start battling her way out herself also. If she hears that from everyone as opposed to just me, hopefully that will make a difference, and YOU will have made a difference also.

In terms of numbers. On review, I think I need to keep numbers down a touch, as this period of time seems to suggest to me that vast numbers of people at a time wouldn't be beneficial to Vicky, and that's the whole point. I'm happy to see anyone at any time but it's what would benefit Vicky that's important and I just think she's needs a lot of rest at the moment so please continue to ask me about visiting.

Because none of us know when she's taking information in and when she's not, it means we all have to try when we're there, in the hope that at some point the messages get through.

At this point I'd like to make a special mention to Natalie and the rest of the girls at Gateshead Council on Vicky's team. They are a truly astounding bunch of people and the greatest set of friends a person could have. I know that Vicky already knows this but I shall be reminding her of this when she comes back to me and making sure she's aware of everything they have done for her and our precious girls. Simply amazing. Thank you everyone.

I also hereby appoint Viv as Motivational Team Leader :O)

Five weeks is a long time to not be able to communicate with or have a hug from your wife when you love her as much as I do. I hope I don't have to wait for too much longer. With all your help, hopefully we'll succeed.

Thanks, Andy x