Cyprus-Forum.com

[miltiades]

Friday the 13th 2009 when Iris my wife of over 40 years succumbed to the dreadful decease that she had battled with so bravely for almost 8 years and passed away at our home back in London. Her wish that her resting place be in Limassol was carried out and that is the main reason I came here to be present at the annual memorial .
Iris was very English in every sense of the word , she looked and acted so English sometimes to my annoyance especially when for more than 40 years she would post a Christmas card to me , we live together I used to say why don't you just give it to me , its not the proper way she would answer.
This my accolade to an English Rose who fell in love with the island of Cyprus and its people , all of its people since to her the G/Cs and T/Cs were one and the same . Having a T/C in our extended family , she could see how similar we all were. John , Erdogan, married my sister in laws sister so two Cypriots , my brother and John married to the two sisters having children that were were half English and half G/C as well as T/Cs, so first cousins were half Cypriot and half English.
Iris hated politics , she knew my intense interest in Cypriot affairs and accepted it , earlier on when we first met way back on November 22 1963 , she vigorously argued against family members who considered all Cypriots as EOKA" terrorists " and supported my views that our struggle was just and one of freedom fighters and not terrorists.

Almost 8 years she battled with Ovarian cancer , the silent killer as its commonly known , on four different occasions she was in Cyprus when her conditioned warranted hospital admission at the Limassol Polikliniki where Dr Demetris who knew her case took excellent care of her and made her well enough to fly back to the UK. Iris I would say to her , you cant do it again in your condition , Yes I can and I will she would defiantly answer , four times in all and she still made to Cyprus last year in March and again in June , by that time almost unable to walk but determined to be in her beloved Cyprus one more time.
By nature I'm a critical person she was completely the opposite , live and let live was her motto.
She has gone for a year now , my tears have dried , my memories acute as ever , and why may you ask am I saying all this ?
I'm paying a tribute not only to my wife but to an English Rose , a beautiful woman who adored Cyprus , who insisted in being christened in the G/O Church not because of some religious spirituality but as a sign of her devotion to her new found love the island of Cyprus and this here miserable sod !

Aionia sou i mnimi Iris Christina Savvides
ps. I still knock the wine back !!!

[apc2010]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IccNC0XKy5Q

english rose..........


No matter where I roam
I will return to my English rose
For no bonds can ever tempt me from she
I've sailed the seven seas,
Flown the whole blue sky.
But I've returned with haste to where my
Love does lie.
No matter where I go I will come back to my English Rose
For nothing, "could" ever "tempt" me from she.
I've searched the secret mists -
I've climbed the highest peaks
Caught the wild wind home
To hear her soft voice speak
No matter where I roam
I will return to my English Rose
For no bonds can ever keep me from she.

[Gasman]

What a moving tribute. And how lovely to hear of such a long marriage where you were both obviously devoted to each other to the end.

Regards from another 'English woman' (I won't describe myself as a rose) who also loves Cyprus.

[Bananiot]

Your wife, Miltiades, looked remarkably alike to my late sister-in-law Cathlene, who also passed away in 1996, struck by this horrible disease. May she rest in peace.

[Milo]

Milti you made me weep this morning

From yet another English flower who loves Cyprus my OH would,nt call me a rose though probably something similar to a thistle would be my title.

I too send my OH a card at Christmas.

[denizaksulu]

Nice sentiments my dear friend. Iris still lives Milti. Whenever I look at your grandchildrens photos, As I said before, I see Iris.

RIP...................have an extra glass of red from me too.

[miltiades]

Nice sentiments my dear friend. Iris still lives Milti. Whenever I look at your grandchildrens photos, As I said before, I see Iris.

RIP...................have an extra glass of red from me too.

My dear Deniz , may I just say how supportive you were genuinely to me during the difficult times last year , I had you to turn too on a number of occasions for solace and advice. Not a day went by without receiving a text from you enquiring about Iris's health , you stood by me in the darkest hours of my life , I still have all the texts that you sent me , and on that day Friday the 13th 2009 you dropped everything and came to me , yes my dear Deniz you are some man some Cypriot and my true friend for life , as a gesture of my friendship I shall now drink....2 glasses of wine for you !!!!

[denizaksulu]

Nice sentiments my dear friend. Iris still lives Milti. Whenever I look at your grandchildrens photos, As I said before, I see Iris.

RIP...................have an extra glass of red from me too.

My dear Deniz , may I just say how supportive you were genuinely to me during the difficult times last year , I had you to turn too on a number of occasions for solace and advice. Not a day went by without receiving a text from you enquiring about Iris's health , you stood by me in the darkest hours of my life , I still have all the texts that you sent me , and on that day Friday the 13th 2009 you dropped everything and came to me , yes my dear Deniz you are some man some Cypriot and my true friend for life , as a gesture of my friendship I shall now drink....2 glasses of wine for you !!!!

That was a good wine Milti

[miltiades]

Nice sentiments my dear friend. Iris still lives Milti. Whenever I look at your grandchildrens photos, As I said before, I see Iris.

RIP...................have an extra glass of red from me too.

My dear Deniz , may I just say how supportive you were genuinely to me during the difficult times last year , I had you to turn too on a number of occasions for solace and advice. Not a day went by without receiving a text from you enquiring about Iris's health , you stood by me in the darkest hours of my life , I still have all the texts that you sent me , and on that day Friday the 13th 2009 you dropped everything and came to me , yes my dear Deniz you are some man some Cypriot and my true friend for life , as a gesture of my friendship I shall now drink....2 glasses of wine for you !!!!

That was a good wine Milti

Have gone mad on this wine from Stroumbi the Great given to me on Wednesday when I was there, its last years vintage and it is absolutely marvellous , a whole Lamitzana which I think its about 8 bottles , well it was 8 but its down to a mere two now , I have named in Chateau Stroumbi The Great !
Here is a little story , yesterday I took my granddaughter whose 7th birthday it was to buy her a few treats , went to Jumbo , a fine store I might add , and she eagerly pointed to a Nintendo game called Super Mario , Oh I said I wonder if they have one called Marios the Plonker , I would have settled for Marios the Malakas , no the young sales assistant said , we don't know this one maybe it hasn't yet arrived in Cyprus !!!!

[denizaksulu]

Nice sentiments my dear friend. Iris still lives Milti. Whenever I look at your grandchildrens photos, As I said before, I see Iris.

RIP...................have an extra glass of red from me too.

My dear Deniz , may I just say how supportive you were genuinely to me during the difficult times last year , I had you to turn too on a number of occasions for solace and advice. Not a day went by without receiving a text from you enquiring about Iris's health , you stood by me in the darkest hours of my life , I still have all the texts that you sent me , and on that day Friday the 13th 2009 you dropped everything and came to me , yes my dear Deniz you are some man some Cypriot and my true friend for life , as a gesture of my friendship I shall now drink....2 glasses of wine for you !!!!

That was a good wine Milti

Have gone mad on this wine from Stroumbi the Great given to me on Wednesday when I was there, its last years vintage and it is absolutely marvellous , a whole Lamitzana which I think its about 8 bottles , well it was 8 but its down to a mere two now , I have named in Chateau Stroumbi The Great !
Here is a little story , yesterday I took my granddaughter whose 7th birthday it was to buy her a few treats , went to Jumbo , a fine store I might add , and she eagerly pointed to a Nintendo game called Super Mario , Oh I said I wonder if they have one called Marios the Plonker , I would have settled for Marios the Malakas , no the young sales assistant said , we don't know this one maybe it hasn't yet arrived in Cyprus !!!!

Poor salesperson............it has arrived, made in Oz. Be patient....it will be marketed soon...........worse for wear though.