Tom Bradbury's remains are home at last
A friend of the writer shared that his ashes have been returned to England.
Tom Bradbury's life was tragically cut short
If you joined Vocal after the end of 2021 the name Tom Bradbury might not mean anything to you. Perhaps you are a member of the Facebook group The Vocal Creator's Lounge and have seen the black and white image of the smiling man at the top of the page but have not given him much thought. His name is Tom Bradbury and he was one of the first to join that community but he became so much more.
Two years ago in September 2021, the Vocal community was stunned to hear of the death of one of our own. Tom Bradbury was very active in the Vocal Creator's Lounge and his impact was great which is why his image is still at the top of the page. Tom championed the rights of Vocal creators to share based on their personal lives. He acknowledged that faith and religion are part of the fabric of the lives of many writers and was dismayed that Vocal.com did not have a community for people of faith. I thought perhaps in honor of Tom that might have changed but two years later it has not.
The official report
Following are some excerpts from a news report about the fire.
A person died in the fire which broke out this Monday in the old mill of Blainville-Crevon (Seine-Maritime). Firefighters arrived at the scene around 5 a.m. They could only note that the flames had already reached the whole of the building built in the center of the village, reports France 3 Normandie. The victim's body was not found until the afternoon.
It is said to be the owner of the building, a Briton who had settled there several years before after falling in love with the old mill. Investigators had tried to reach him all day to warn him of the incident. The man could not be found. The arrival of a dog brigade from Eure et Loir and rescue and clearing specialists finally made it possible to locate a corpse in the ruins.
Remembering the past
You can click on the above link to read the comments at the end of the story that shares that Tom's ashes are now back at his home in England. Two years is a long time but perhaps because of the investigation into the fire and protocol, this is the way it had to be. To read details of the fire and more about Tom's life you can click on the following link where Vocal Creator Judy Kalchik. Thank you John Devereaux for giving us this important news.
Tom Bradbury is someone special
Now that the news is out that his remains have found a final resting place Tom will be trending (temporarily) because that's the way things work. People get caught up in the moment and then go on with their lives. Each time I go to the Vocal Creator's Lounge and see his image I wonder what might have been and how his continued writing would have impacted us all.
Before Tom's body was located in the aftermath of the fire, the mayor of Blainville-Crevon Philippe Picard had mentioned the “great sadness” of the inhabitants in the face of the destruction of “a heritage and landscape element of the village which was remarkable”.
The truly remarkable heritage is Tom's life because human lives are always more valuable than buildings. The same is true of Tom Bradbury's writings. He may be gone in body but in spirit through his creativity, he lives on as long as he is remembered.
About the Creator
Cheryl E Preston
Cheryl is a widow who enjoys writing about current events, soap spoilers and baby boomer nostalgia. Tips are greatly appreciated.
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Comments (2)
Just so you are aware in case you're interested, or anyone else who stumbles on this, VSS was the group Tom helped to build along with the Fab 5. The official memorial pieces I did for the family are posted there and on my profile. Tom and I were very close as I was his editor. It's a little hard to think Lounge is still using the photo unauthorized by the family tbh. Also consider viewing his Vocal Spotlight under the spotlight tab of resources. Thank you for wanting to spread the news.
Thank you for this, Cheryl! I arrived in the FB Group after Tom's passing, but I can tell he was much loved. The way everyone talks about him is proof of that.