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#1 2013-11-27 20:41:16

fxh
Big Down Under.
From: Melbourne
Posts: 6159

Liam MacDonald Obituary

Last weekend I was contacted by Liam Macdonald’s fiancé telling me that our regular Talk Ivy forum contributor, moderator and friend had died from complications following an acute asthma attack.

I hesitated to post on the forum – not being sure who was who or what was what.

Liam Macdonald posted here as Liam or Liam Mac. He moderated the forum along with fnb, myself and armchaired .

Liam was young, intelligent, vibrant, funny, sophisticated – interested in clothes, particularly Ivy, and a committed environmentalist who loved the outdoors and nature. If he was alive, and I were writing to him I would call him a naturalist – just to tease him. We often teased him. He teased others. He enjoyed it. Others enjoyed it. And, I in particular enjoyed it.

Liam was young enough that many of those who enjoyed him online were older than his father. It only makes the loss sadder and more unfair.

Liam graduated in 2009 in Inverness with a BSc with distinction in Sustainable Forest Management with Forestry Conservation. He also won the Best Student award from the Institute of Chartered Foresters (ICF) and the Scottish Woodlands Prize on behalf of Scottish Woodlands Ltd.

He loved nature. So much so that he often asked me about opportunities in Australia and employment. When I travelled to Japan and talked about clothes he was just as interested in my experiences in the mountains and rural areas and what flora and fauna I had seen. He wanted to go there.

I had another personal connection. One of my brothers lives in Aberdeen and Liam was due to connect with him on his next visit to the granite city.

It may seem strange to some that an online friendship can develop across the seas, separated by seasons, time, distance and culture. But it happens. Just as it happened with handwritten letters delivered by slow ship in years gone by, by telephone and by email.  I considered Liam a friend and a sort of work colleague. He’d planned to visit Australia – at least he’d talked about it – and he would have stayed at my place.

The news of Liam’s death affected me deeply. In a way he’d become like a nephew to me and the fact that my Scottish nephew is over here talking to me in the burred brogue seemed to make the loss more acute.

Liam contributed mightily to the forum. Moderating is one of those unseen backroom tasks.  It largely involves hours of super dull deleting of spam in one form or another. Attending to various technical matters in keeping the site running and coherent and weighted further down with the frequent complaints of various participants about real or imagined slights and bias. There’s no short or medium term upside. The long term upside is seeing people enjoy a forum. Ironically, one small upside for me and Liam was the deluge of spam for Scottish Giant vibrator services which enabled me to lambast Liam both online and behind the scenes that he was behind it all. He did deny it.

Liam was a fan of early “California Beach Ivy”  - in particular the Beach Boys early days of short sleeved striped shirts, white highwater jeans/chinos and such.  Again he was teased about the juxtaposition of the Inverness climate and culture with Californian culture and surf, sand and sun.

I’m not a believer and I don’t know if Liam was.  However. I hope he’s gone somewhere where all the shoulders on all the jackets are natural, all the seams are swelled, the shirt collars buttoned down, with perfect imperfect collar roll. All the trousers slim. And. Most importantly - all the sizes are made to fit “short arses” as he would say.

I hope the outdoors team with plants and wildlife in a wonderful mixture of looking like Northern Scotland crossed with California and every day calls for white chinos, wide candy striped short sleeved shirts, sandy beaches, no midges, big surf, both Irn Bru and Coke on ice and its Fun Fun Fun Till Daddy takes the T bird away.

Rest in peace mate.  I’ll miss you.

fxh

 

#2 2013-11-27 20:42:54

fxh
Big Down Under.
From: Melbourne
Posts: 6159

Re: Liam MacDonald Obituary

 

#3 2013-11-27 20:43:54

fxh
Big Down Under.
From: Melbourne
Posts: 6159

Re: Liam MacDonald Obituary

 

#4 2013-11-28 00:56:11

Oliver
Member
From: San Francisco
Posts: 6321

Re: Liam MacDonald Obituary

That was touching and tearjerking.

 

#5 2013-11-28 01:08:36

Moose Maclennan
Ivy Inspiration
From: Hernando's Hideaway
Posts: 4577

Re: Liam MacDonald Obituary

Beautifully said.

Liam and I shared the same nationality and diminutive stature. A lovely ivy suit from me found a good home with him and we both joked about it being sent to an 'IV' postcode. Many of his posts were hilarious and had me sputtering coffee all over my desk. I admired his sense of the nonsensical, for music, culture, style and nature.

The laddie could connect and manifestly continues to do so. The gut-burning feeling on hearing of his death is something I haven't experienced outside my closest circle. Seems he had that effect on many people.

To borrow a phrase, I doubt 'this three cubic feet of bone and blood and meat' - or maybe two and a half in Liam's case - is all we're about, whatever our beliefs. Some of us may be in for a surprise. We're all here for a reason and reading between the lines here and elsewhere give us an idea of some of Liam's.

 

#6 2013-11-28 01:38:07

Kingston1an
Member
Posts: 4109

Re: Liam MacDonald Obituary

Thanks for your insights fxh.

I did not know Liam but he sounds a decent, enthusiastic young man. I would be one of those that would be old enough to be his grandfather. His death somehow makes all the clothes talk seem even more trivial.


"Florid, smug, middle-aged golf club bore in this country I'd say. Propping up the 19th hole in deepest Surrey bemoaning the perils of immigration."

 

#7 2013-11-28 02:04:00

12BarBlues
Mr. Ivy
Posts: 2477

Re: Liam MacDonald Obituary

Very nicely put fxh. It's a strange thing this online business, I have been feeling like I lost a friend for the past few days and I never met the man in person.


"To be honest I do like FNB...I always feel one of the thunderbirds when I say it."

 

#8 2013-11-28 02:35:32

harry palmer
Member
Posts: 36

Re: Liam MacDonald Obituary

Truly sad news, R.I.P. Liam

 

#9 2013-11-28 02:41:04

Acton_Baby
Member
From: West London
Posts: 3848

Re: Liam MacDonald Obituary

Very well said fxh.


"I have about 100 pairs of pyjamas. I like to see people dressed comfortably."
Hugh Hefner

 

#10 2013-11-28 02:48:31

Thee Captain
Member
From: The galaxy MACS0647-JD
Posts: 6972

Re: Liam MacDonald Obituary

FXH - I salute you!

Accentuates what an all-round top fella Liam was and will always be for folk on here..


He came he saw he gave the WANKER SIGN! Moved on from Talk Bollocks now as it's well shite innit and y'all look MINGIN'..
I Lunge Therefore I Am #theecaptainofsuave
https://www.mixcloud.com/TheeCaptainOfSuave

 

#11 2013-11-28 03:13:58

Chris_H
Ivy Original
From: Watford
Posts: 1654

Re: Liam MacDonald Obituary

Well put FXH.


https://www.facebook.com/groups/hardyandjohnson/

 

#12 2013-11-28 03:23:52

Axelist
Talker of the talk, walker of the walk.
From: age
Posts: 1223

Re: Liam MacDonald Obituary

Indeed, very well put.

It does feel so absurd and unreal to see the pics.


Just to get a repp..

 

#13 2013-11-28 03:23:53

Richard Bergman
Sock it to 'em R.B. !
Posts: 583

Re: Liam MacDonald Obituary

Beautifully written FXH.

Liam was wise beyond his years aswell as being a genuinely nice guy.

Sad loss.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWPi8PLo33o

 

#14 2013-11-28 03:54:18

The Woolster
Ivy Antenna
Posts: 1829

Re: Liam MacDonald Obituary

Beautifully said, thanks fxh. Rest in peace Liam.

 

#15 2013-11-28 03:54:33

4F Hepcat
THE Cat
Posts: 14333

Re: Liam MacDonald Obituary


Vibe-Rations in Spectra-Sonic-Sound

 

#16 2013-11-28 04:00:26

Taylor McIntyre
Son of Ivy...
Posts: 342

Re: Liam MacDonald Obituary

Very touching and obviously heartfelt, fxh. Well played.

 

#17 2013-11-28 06:31:19

steve mcqueen fan
Agent Ivy.
Posts: 1449

Re: Liam MacDonald Obituary


"McQueen's message was signaled through subtraction... in a tweed or herringbone jacket and a ribbed swearer he had an electric austerity".

 

#18 2013-11-28 06:58:06

Worried Man
Member
From: Davebrubeckistan
Posts: 15988

Re: Liam MacDonald Obituary

Nice words FXH. Good to finally put a face on the lad.  My thoughts keep returning to him.


"We close our sto' at a reasonable hour because we figure anybody who would want one of our suits has got time to stroll over here in the daytime." - VP of George Muse Clothing, Atlanta, 1955

 

#19 2013-11-28 07:06:47

Sharmieplease
New member
Posts: 3

Re: Liam MacDonald Obituary

Hi

I wanted to come here myself and let you all know how fondly Liam spoke of you all and the forum. He often took his moderating job so seriously that I had to pry him away from it to be able to ask him what he wanted for dinner. Often I'd tease him about it and sometimes he would indulge me in the latest forum gossip.

The words you have written for Liam are beautifully put and well delivered I'm sure Liam would have approved. Thanks to you all for your kinds words about him and well wishes on both here and MC.

Liam's funeral will be on Tuesday 3rd of December. I'm not sure what's going to be more difficult, saying goodbye or picking him something to wear.

Thanks again and as Liam would say "Stay frosty"
Regards, S.

 

#20 2013-11-28 07:43:39

Richard Bergman
Sock it to 'em R.B. !
Posts: 583

Re: Liam MacDonald Obituary

 

#21 2013-11-28 07:50:20

Oliver
Member
From: San Francisco
Posts: 6321

Re: Liam MacDonald Obituary

 

#22 2013-11-28 07:51:38

Sharmieplease
New member
Posts: 3

Re: Liam MacDonald Obituary

 

#23 2013-11-28 08:56:31

Armchaired
Ivy I.V.
From: Old England
Posts: 7580

Re: Liam MacDonald Obituary

Thanks FXH that was a very moving tribute to our beloved friend.
It certainly brought a tear to the eye and a lump to the throat.
And what a handsome young man he was.

Farewell, you young sage ,my brother... i will miss you

Sharmieplease

Thanks for posting at an awfull time like this
you and Liam's family and friends will be in all our thoughts
sorry for your troubles.

May God Bless you X


�Careful with that axe Eugene.�

 

#24 2013-11-28 09:06:28

Richard Bergman
Sock it to 'em R.B. !
Posts: 583

Re: Liam MacDonald Obituary

 

#25 2013-11-28 10:28:38

heikki k
The Ivyist's Ivyist
Posts: 1442

Re: Liam MacDonald Obituary

fxh - a heartfelt and beautifully written piece.

Rest In Peace Liam. Sharmie - my heartfelt condolences to you and to all liam's loved ones.

 

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