[Obituary] Vic "Waddy" Wadmore.
Waddy was one of the Discworld fandom's big characters. Full of zest and the ability to tell a story (whether you wanted to hear it or not). You could always tell when Waddy was in the room because his booming voice rang out. The irony of his namesake in Night Watch not having a speaking part was not lost on Waddy or any of his friends (I am sure Waddy was very proud to be included.)
For many fans though, Waddy is probably best known for his unofficial Discworld Camping event he named Wadfest. Wadfest ran yearly from 2002 - 2017 (with a break for the Olympics in 2012), over the course of the years Wadfest took place in four different locations around the middle of England. For many fans it was the only Discworld event they visited and Waddy was incredibly pleased when Terry Pratchett turned up to the 2005 event (being ever-resourceful Terry arrived with his own bottle of HP sauce and the hope of a bacon sandwich - Terry got his sandwich and spent a lot of times having fun with his fans).
Waddy was an incredibly generous man. Often making life hard on himself to make life better for others. We know that Wadfest often cost more than it took in and no amount of dissuasion would convince Waddy that he didn't have to hire those showers to keep the campers happy.
We sadly haven't spoken to Waddy since 2017 and while he hasn't been active in the Discworld scene much we've often wondered how he was doing.
Waddy was sadly recently involved in a car crash that left him hospitalised and today (Tuesday 26th November 2024) the hospital and Waddy's family took the decision to turn off the life support. Waddy passed peacefully shortly after.
Waddy is survived by his two sons Justin and Marcus. Our thoughts and condolences go out to his family.
#GNU Waddy, Mind how you go.
Waddy was one of the Discworld fandom's big characters. Full of zest and the ability to tell a story (whether you wanted to hear it or not). You could always tell when Waddy was in the room because his booming voice rang out. The irony of his namesake in Night Watch not having a speaking part was not lost on Waddy or any of his friends (I am sure Waddy was very proud to be included.)
For many fans though, Waddy is probably best known for his unofficial Discworld Camping event he named Wadfest. Wadfest ran yearly from 2002 - 2017 (with a break for the Olympics in 2012), over the course of the years Wadfest took place in four different locations around the middle of England. For many fans it was the only Discworld event they visited and Waddy was incredibly pleased when Terry Pratchett turned up to the 2005 event (being ever-resourceful Terry arrived with his own bottle of HP sauce and the hope of a bacon sandwich - Terry got his sandwich and spent a lot of times having fun with his fans).
Waddy was an incredibly generous man. Often making life hard on himself to make life better for others. We know that Wadfest often cost more than it took in and no amount of dissuasion would convince Waddy that he didn't have to hire those showers to keep the campers happy.
We sadly haven't spoken to Waddy since 2017 and while he hasn't been active in the Discworld scene much we've often wondered how he was doing.
Waddy was sadly recently involved in a car crash that left him hospitalised and today (Tuesday 26th November 2024) the hospital and Waddy's family took the decision to turn off the life support. Waddy passed peacefully shortly after.
Waddy is survived by his two sons Justin and Marcus. Our thoughts and condolences go out to his family.
“Do you not know that a man is not dead while his name is still spoken?” -- Terry Pratchett
Waddy will be sadly missed by all that met him.#GNU Waddy, Mind how you go.
I went to Wadfest one year. It was a fun event.