Tom McGrath

Monday.
I found out Tom McGrath had passed away from reading the sensei's blog a couple of days ago. I just have to say something about Tom McGrath because he did me an enormous favour once.

My radio producer had given him a look at Clocked Out, a radio script, and he wanted to see me. He had some kind of job with the SAC at the Lyceum. Just right then I was up shit creek having just heard that I was going to become a daddy and was watching my so-called writing career seemingly going down the toilet. I thought I needed some money so I could give up the jobbie and look after the kiddo anyway. I had four grand coming in from the radio and others, but I needed another three to swing it. So when I saw Tom, he said he'd get it for me from the Scottish Arts Council and refereed a writer's award for me. This was a giant help at the time.

You don't forget stuff like that.

I only spoke with him a couple of times afterwards. I'm not at all good with the well known. The last time I saw him in public was in the Traverse Theatre after his last production there and I could see his health wasn't great. He was recovering from a stroke. So I'm glad I sent him a card then thanking him again for the help he'd given me.

Tom McGrath was quite a national treasure. I doesn't really matter what his writing was like. He was an exceptionally nice man. I asked his partner, Ella, how he was keeping once before he had the stroke and she said he was doing fine considering the life he'd led. Quite a guy!