Kelli has nominated Simon to be honoured on name a cable, this is Simon’s story.
Anyone over the age of 35 that was a regular on the Birmingham gay club scene during the 1990’s will probably be familiar with the name, Simon Murphy. As one of the most well known promoters and founder of Hype @ TinTins Club, he was involved in launching the careers of Tony De Vit, Andy Farley and Simon Baker, amongst others and even booked Take That to perform in the club before they became famous!
His dry wit, wicked sense of humour and cackling laugh made him a loveable person to be around – a shining star and inspiration to many. After TinTins closed in 1997, Simon moved to London were he continued his career promoting nights at Trade Turnmills in Clerkenwell Road. He also opened up a beauty salon in Soho which was hugely successful in men’s grooming and tanning.
He married his partner Cameron and they shared a flat above the salon with two of their closest friends. Life was good and he was happy.
None of us really know exactly when Simon was first diagnosed with non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, as, being the person that he was, he kept it quiet from the majority of the family. Never one for self pity or wanting sympathy from others, only Cameron and his closest friends in London were privy to his suffering.
It wasn’t until he developed a tumor in his spine and was confined to a wheelchair that most of us found out that his prognosis was terminal. Yet despite this he still carried on with a smile on his face, downplaying the true extent of his pain and anguish.
Simon lived out his final days in St John’s hospice where he passed away peacefully with family and friends at his bedside at 21.21 on 17th July 2015. He was 46 years old.
I received a phone call at 21.25 as I was driving down Hagley Road. As I pulled over near Bearwood park to take the call, I remember getting out of the car and looking up at the most beautiful sunset, with red, gold and perhaps, quite fittingly – pink clouds.
Knowing that my dear Simon was finally at peace was somehow comforting but no less heartbreaking. I would like to honour him by naming a cable after him so that DP Building Systems can continue in their plight to raise £100,000 to help fund cancer research, so that we never have to lose another loved one to this is horrible disease.
