Stirling Moss up date

[Chuck Miller]

Recieved this from the Art Evans through the Fablious Fifties Club.....

Moss, in his own words:

March 9, 2010 Update:
As most of you know, 80 year old Sir Stirling Moss stepped into an empty elevator shaft in his London home over the weekend, falling 3 stories, suffering broken bones in his feet and ankles and damaged vertebra. The good news is that Stirling's injuries are not life threatening and that his heart and mind (as well as his typing fingers) are as strong as ever. Stirling sent this email message to his many friends and fans around the world:

TO ALL MY FRIENDS (AND ALL THOSE WHO ARE KIND ENOUGH TO CARE), DEAR ALL OF YOU, THE LAST FEW DAYS HAVE BEEN QUITE FANTASTIC AND I'D LIKE TO THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR YOUR KIND THOUGHTS, MESSAGES AND OTHER PARAPHERNALIA. ON SATURDAY EVENING, I WAS AT HOME WITH SUSIE, ELLIOT AND HELEN AND ABOUT TO LEAVE FOR A CURRY, FOR WHICH WE WERE RUNNING LATE. I ASKED HELEN TO JOIN ME IN THE LIFT TO GO DOWNSTAIRS, BECAUSE SUSIE AND ELLIOT WERE SMART ENOUGH NOT TO RIDE IN MY LIFT. I OPENED THE DOOR AND STEPPED INTO THE LIFT, WITH HELEN READY TO FOLLOW ME, WHICH SHE NEVER DID. THAT IS BECAUSE THE LIFT HAD STOPPED ON THE FLOOR ABOVE AND INCORRECTLY ALLOWED THE DOOR BENEATH IT TO OPEN. STILL CHATTING TO HELEN, I STEPPED INTO THE OPEN DOORWAY-- AND FELL TO THE BOTTOM OF THE LIFT SHAFT. THE AMBULANCE WAS CALLED AND ARRIVED AT RACING SPEED, WHEREUPON THEY PUT ME ONTO A SERIES OF ABOUT 10 STRETCHERS! HAVING FINALLY SETTLED ON WHAT MUST HAVE SEEMED A GOOD ONE, I WAS TAKEN, ALONG WITH MY FAMILY TO THE ROYAL LONDON HOSPITAL IN WHITECHAPEL, WHERE THEY USED ANOTHER BATCH OF SIMILAR STRETCHERS! THEY DID A GOOD JOB OF HELPING ME, BUT WERE UNABLE TO DO THE REQUISITE SURGERY. SO, ON THE SUNDAY, I WAS MOVED TO THE PRINCESS GRACE, WHERE A FANTASTICALLY EFFICIENT, KIND AND AMUSING STAFF DID ALL THE JOBS. I AM NOW IN A LOVELY ROOM, NUMBER 222, AND WITH THE HELP OF ELLIOT AND THE PORTER, AM FINALLY ON THE EMAIL. THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT I WILL BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY SEND THIS TO YOU, BUT I WILL TRY!
NOW FOR THE FUTURE... WHICH I CAN SEE WITH SUSIE, HELEN AND ELLIOT AROUND ME, IS GOING TO BE A BLOODY STRUGGLE! AS SOME OF YOU MAY KNOW, SUSIE AND I ARE BOOKED ON A SEABOURN CRUISE FOR OUR 30TH ANNIVERSARY, NEXT MONTH. I HAVE TO CROSS THE HURDLE OF GETTING THE DOCORS, AND FAMLY HANGERS-ON, TO ALLOW ME TO THIN MY BLOOD, IN ORDER TO AVOID ANY ISSUES INVOLVING DEEP VEIN THROMBOSIS. IT WILL BE SIX TO EIGHT WEEKS FROM SUNDAY BEFORE I WILL ABLE TO PUT ANY LOAD ON MY FEET. THEREFORE I'M FACING MY SIXTH OR SEVENTH REDUCTION TO A WHEELCHAIR (SUSIE SAYS SHE'S STOPPED COUNTING) WHICH I MUST ADMIT, IS RATHER BORING. THE GOOD NEWS IS; THAT I DIDN'T SELL THE WHEELCHAIR AFTER THE LAST SHUNT! THE WHOLE THING IS A REAL PAIN IN THE ARSE, IF I HAD LOOKED WHERE I WAS GOING, I WOULDN'T BE HERE AT ALL, SO IT'S MY OWN DAMN FAULT. I HAVE BEEN ABSOLUTELY OVERWHELMED BY YOUR COLLECTIVE CONCERN AND KINDNESS. I CAN TELL YOU THAT CURRENTLY I'M LYING IN HOSPITAL, TAKING DEEP BREATHS, LIFTING ONE ARM WITH THE OTHER, RAISING MY LEGS (WITH PLASTERS ON THE END) AND DOING ALL I CAN DO TO KEEP MYSELF AS MOBILE AS POSSIBLE, BUT, HAVING SAID THAT, I'M NOT YET WINNING THE BATTLE. I'M NOT SURE WHEN I'LL BE ABLE TO GO HOME BUT THE LIFT HAS TO WORK, OTHERWISE I'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO GET UPSTAIRS IN MY WHEELCHAIR, MAYBE I'LL GO AND STAY WITH HELEN AND ELLIOT FOR A WHILE... THIS REALLY HAS OPENED MY EYES TO HOW KIND ALL MY FRIENDS ARE, OVER AN OLD EX- RACING DRIVER, FLOGGING A FADING IMAGE! I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU SOON, MANY THANKS FOR ALL OF YOUR THOUGHTS, CIAO

A few days ago, I received a phone call from Herb Jones and I asked him to email an update that I could pass along to non-members.

Dear Art, You asked me to give a latest report on Stirling. Needless to say, it is remarkable that Stirling is recovering in a hospital instead of us attending his funeral. To fall 40 feet down an elevator shaft at the age of 80 and be able to tell me what his biggest complaint is is amazing. His feet are broken up, both ankles now held together with pins, shoulder immobile and chipped vertebrae but beside the pain, with the weight of both legs in plaster and having to lift the bad arm with the good one, his annoyance is the "Bloody bed pan!” To put it nicely for copy, “who can properly go to the toilet while flat on your back?” He will have a long period of recuperation and will, of course, miss many of the functions planned for him. To name a couple, Grand Marshal at the Amelia Island Concourse (Carroll Shelby went in his stead)plus he and Susies' wedding anniversary cruise from Singapore. We all wish him well with Gods speed.

However today it seems that Sir Stirling just bought a 1.7 million dollar RS61...

http://content.usatoday.com/communit...ion-porsche-/1

... and so it goes

[Gumby]

All well said and with great humor...A inspiration at any age

[Fritter]

Very humorous and inspiring! What a guy. Thanks for posting.