Every question answered by Fred Gee

Q1. Have you enjoyed your life so far?

My childhood was spent growing on a small farm, which was great with loads of fields and woods to play in, but I do remember feeling isolated, as I lived so far away from mates in school and little contact with them, especially over long summer holidays. School was ok, although I think I was late developer not going out that much with friends outside of school, until the latter teen years when the drinking life began and I started going to pubs & clubs and then it all kicked off. I loved playing football which helped me massively meeting different people and opened another world of socialising and had some great times. It took a long time, but I am settled now with a family of my own and it’s the most contented and happiest I’ve ever been.

It hasn’t all been fun though, as life throws you many curve balls and I‘ve had my fair share of up and downs, but I’m lucky, somehow even at my lowest moments, I’ve managed to get through them by trying to remain positive and not looking too far into the future. On the whole, the good times have far outweighed the bad, so I must say life’s been good.

I’ve had a fucking ball !

Q2. Do you like yourself?

Looking back when I was younger, I think I was quite selfish and didn’t really care much about anything or anyone and sometimes a bit of a twat, maybe it was just growing up ? I think through life you constantly develop as a person , and when I got married and had a family I learnt that life was not all about me. There are certain parts of my character I like , being laid back, not letting things get to or worry me , and always thinking positive and everything will be ok , but sometimes I feel I’m too laid back and lack empathy, also over thinking things and not reacting to situations which deserve a more spontaneous reaction, and wish sometimes I could get more angry quicker , there are many other aspects of my character I could go into but the list would go on , so to wrap up, I can’t wholeheartedly say one way or the other , I guess it’s yes & no

Q3. Tell me a story.

I was on holiday with my family in Spain and it was our usual evening few beers around the pool before heading out for a bite to eat, after our meal it was still quite early so we decided to find a bar and have a few more, in the bar was a couple of pool tables, there were some lads playing on the 1st table so me and my boy went to 2nd table and had a couple of game, we ended the last game and I finished my pint, but went back to our table to see if anyone wanted a drink before going to the bar, as we had been a while, to my amazement when I got there, there was a full pint still on the table when I asked my mrs who's it was she said it was mine, I said who's have I been drinking then, I suddenly realised I must have picked up one the lads full pints from the pool table and drank it all while carrying in playing pool next to them, luckily they took very well and never said a word to me at the time, I bought them a drink and apologised after, just can't believe they didn't say anything.

perhaps they just thought I was nuts !!!

Q4. What's something you've always wanted to do?

When I was younger and people asked me what I wanted to be, I said I was going to be a footballer, I loved playing and just that’s what I was going to do, but then as I grew older I realised it wasn’t as simple as turning up at a club saying I can play football give us a game, the bubble was burst and my dream over.

There’s are a couple of things I’ve always fancied doing, I always wanted to do a parachute jump, wondered what it would be like floating down in the sky like a bird looking down at the earth below, but also the thought of jumping out of plane miles up in the air shits me up. The other thing is scuba diving, I’ve often watched people doing it on TV and imagined how amazing it would be diving in crystal clear water, swimming with the different fish on a coral reef, I’ve been lucky enough to snorkel with lots of fish and that was great, but I can imagine being totally underwater without having to come up for air would be even better. I must admit I’ve been lucky in life and seen and done some amazing things, but I guess there’s always time for a few more.

Q5. What gives/gave you meaning in life?

Never really thought about it much and lived my life day to day and taken it as it comes , but saying that I know what is important I what I enjoy , so thinking along these lines I would have to say spending time with the people I love the most , my wife and kids. Nothing really needs to happen it just being there from day to day talking about each of our days be they good or bad and being able to listen or be listened to. Sometimes we can be talking shit , but it’s nice to share your shit. Good to have a shoulder to cry on and good to be there to offer a shoulder to cry on, but to be fair when the shit hits the fan my mrs sorts it out.

Just good being around when amazing things happen and memories are made . I’ve never been motivated by work and have just seen as a means to an end to bring the money in to pay the bills and be able enjoy life to the full , like going on amazing holidays , don’t get me started on my yearly cycle and the count down to each holiday , anyway I think I’m rambling on a bit , but to some up what I’m trying to say is being part of a wonderful crazy family is it , thank you.

Q6. What piece of music makes you feel the most?

For everyone who knows me this one is probably very predictable, but I think it’s a song that I play most often and consistently over the years and it just makes me feel good, so I have to choose it.

It’s difficult to explain, but just love the way the song sounds and Liam Gallagher’s voice works brilliantly with it, if someone else was singing it probably wouldn’t be half as good, it gives me a real buzz every time I listen to it, thinking what a fucking song. I’m sure someone else could listen to it and think what a pile of shit, but not for me it makes me really happy, but I guess that’s the beauty of music one man’s poison is another man’s gold.

Death in Vegas – Scorpio Rising

Q7. If the ghost of Christmas past, present or future could visit you this Xmas, which would it be?

I have great memories as a kid at Christmas, with all the excitement and the anticipation of what Father Christmas was going to bring, but I think, that’s what I would rather them stay as, fond, but vague memories, which I don’t want some nasty old ghost tampering with and maybe putting a different spin on them. I wouldn’t like to see the future if it even if it was good, I think sometimes you’re better off just not knowing especially if there is nothing you can do about it and if it were good, probably would spoil the real excitement and appreciation of the moment.

So if I have to have a visit from a ghost which I don’t really want anyway, it would have to be the Ghost of Christmas Present, I am very happy & content with my lot now and hopefully, that is what the old ghost will show me !!!!

Merry Christmas x

Q8. Did this past year go as expected for you? What do you anticipate this year?

The problem is I never really look or plan too far ahead, so its a bit difficult to say one way or the other, all I'm happy with about last year, is that nothing really bad or unexpected happened. I did enjoy my usual highlights of holidays away with the family, work was work and expectedly shit, as usual, the family are fit and healthy and we are close together so what more could I ask for, & a big shout out to my Mrs and daughter for passing their diploma and exams x.

For next year I wish for my youngest boy to have a lucky break in music, and be let loose on the roads, my daughter to pass her exams, my Mrs to be able to leave work and my eldest boy & family to all stay fit and healthy, I know I've gone off the expected theme a bit, but I would be very happy if nothing really bad happened, and my family were all ok.

Q9. What’s the worst pain you have ever felt?


I have had a few over the years playing football. I split my head open going up for a cross with the goalie, not sure how it happened, must have been the impact of his elbow hitting me on the head, I just remember waking up on the floor, head hurting, dazed and everyone saying don’t move, think the game finished there and then, there was only a couple of minutes left and they called an ambulance, I got stitched sent on my way, but still made the pub after though, looking like a twat, with a big bandage around my head.

The other football playing injury I got was playing in a cup up in Caerphilly, it was well into the 2nd half and I was running with the ball, when I felt a crunching tackle come in from the side, I remember laying on the floor for a minute thinking fuck me that hurt, as you know if you ever played football, it was always the way to try and get up straight up after and show it didn’t hurt, brush yourself down and think to yourself I’ll get the bastard back later. But on this occasion, I just couldn’t because it hurt so much. To my disappointment I had to limp off, I went home after with my leg throbbing, thinking if it’s like this in the morning I’m going to have to go to the hospital. It didn’t get any better, so I went into the hospital, where they x-rayed me and to my amazement at the time, it showed I had broken my leg.

But the number one most pain I’ve ever had was gallstones. I experienced 2 bouts of it but wasn’t sure what it was at the time. The pain took my breath away, and there wasn’t a position or anything I could do to get away from it.

I must say my family were very sympathetic at the time. My Mrs said it was probably a bit of indigestion and the kids laughing at me taking videos of me when I was bent over double, trying to relieve the pain. To be fair the 2nd time it happened, my Mrs persuaded me to go to the doctors, who booked me in for a scan, which confirmed it was gallstones and I had an operation to remove my gallbladder to sort it out, and thank god I don’t have to go through that pain again.

Q10. What Scares You?

The sea scares me, don’t like the idea of being on a ship or boat in some raving storm, being smashed by enormous waves, just waiting to sink. Not that it would ever happen as I wouldn’t go on a cruise or a ship for any length of time far out in the ocean. Losing my eyesight also scares me, through accident or illnesses the thought of spending the rest of my life in the dark petrifies me.

Q11.At what point in your life were you the happiest you have ever been?

The happiest time in my life, was when I met my wife, it shouldn’t have happened really, cause I went out with her mate, but I always thought she was a bit of alright, and after I split with her mate, we stayed friends and just clicked, I found my soul mate and I couldn’t have been happier, so much so we got engaged after a few weeks, seems mad looking back, just felt the most natural thing to do, I was the happiest I’ve ever been, so why not keep that feeling for the rest of my life