Good Bye Ralph
Some memories of Ralph
All of us at the club are still in a state of shock following the sudden death of Ralph last month. I have been inundated with messages from club members, all of them with the same theme saying such things as: - Ralph was gentle man, a genteel man and a true gentleman in every sense of the word.
I can honestly say that I have never heard Ralph curse or swear – club members who have helped fix cars with him that have provoked them to get annoyed – but Ralph never let it get him down. Another club member says that to them he epitomised the best of our Club, always welcoming new members and remembering names - which is increasingly a problem for many of us as we age - and genuinely being interested enough to listen. It was this friendliness that attracted new members to the club and kept a large proportion of them, so much so that we hit a new membership milestone of over 90 in 2018. Of course, his (very occasional) gaffes when introducing club meeting were a source of delight and showed just how human he was.
Although he was not at his best when he went to Tatton Show in August he was still on form. If you remember the day. Sun and rain. As he returned to the crowded gazebo he noticed his seats were occupied - he quipped to those who were sitting there “I used to have some chairs like that" – he soon got his seats back.
Teaming up for a club treasure hunt in Briars Hall grounds Ralph said to his navigator “You solve the clues and I'll drink the prize bottle of wine". They won and he did.
It was truly a privilege to have known Ralph
Ralph’s Milestones at our club.
Around 1998 Ralph joined the club and soon made his mark by taking part in all the club activities and quickly making new friends. So much so that in 2000 he was awarded Club supporter Shield by the club committee. Ralph soon changed his rubber bumper MGB for a slightly earlier chrome bumper model in a bright shade of red – Ralph sold this car to buy a modern MGTF but then bought back again and still owned it up to this year. Then Ralph spent some time tracking down his first MG, a TC that in 1965 he did his courting of his future wife Lynne. Eventually in 2003 Ralph managed to buy back the TC and with Lynne’s support he had it restored (taking about 3 years). Ralph told us that they would have it ready for Easter – unfortunately they didn’t specify which Easter and many of the committee were preparing to drive to the restorers to persuade them to speed it up – but Ralph was more patient. The TC arrived back looking absolutely magnificent but unfortunately Lynne did not live to see it – but it held such memories for him which was why Ralph always said that he would never sell it – ever. It won the Premiere Class of the Pride of Ownership the following year 2007 for the first time. He told the full story for one of our newsletters a few years ago. In 2006 Ralph joined the committee and took on the role of Mid-Month organiser – a task he did for the next 10 years.
In 2008, at the January AGM, Ralph’s popularity in the club was never more evident when we had to have an election for the remaining committee places there being 3 people too many for the places available. Ralph was the only one of the candidates to be voted for by every club member and received the maximum possible number of votes. That year, 2008, he was awarded the Dargan Trophy. In 2013 I remember Ralph telling me that he was getting a bit embarrassed by his TC winning the Pride of Ownership so often and did I think that he should stop entering it having won it for the 5th time– of course I encouraged him to keep going – it was other club members who were voting after all . By 2016 his TC had won the Premiere class of the Pride of Ownership for a record 8th time. The Premier Shield was presented to Ralph's son Steven, to be kept in perpetuity with Ralph's TC - which Steven intends keeping.
In 2017 he was elected as Club Chairman and then in 2020 re-elected as chairman for a 4th year. This year, 2021 was his 5th year as Chairman and his TC Won the Pride of Ownership for a record 9th time.
The committee has just voted for the Car of the Day Trophy, introduced in 2018, to be named for him and it is now to be known as
“The Ralph Greenhalgh Memorial Trophy”.
Ralph, we will all miss you so much - Rest In Peace