Wassup Grandad?
36Thursday 17 July, 2014 by Uncle Spike
My maternal granddad died in the mid 70s when I was still in short trousers at school. But I have very fond memories of the guy. He was a simple soul, an honest hard-working man who was a big part of my childhood. After his war service, that saw him suffer lung damage from the barrage balloons he tended over the skies of London, he went on to work as a gravedigger, and almost died doing the job, especially when digging a ‘family grave’ once.
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He then went on to spend many years working in a cigarette factory before semi-retiring as a gardener. Unfortunately the earlier damage was exacerbated by the ‘200 free perks a week’ of the factory toll; the combined result sending him to his own grave by 71 or 72.
Nevertheless, he was a kind man, and probably the one man who I’d like to think was proud of who I am today. This was lil’ ol Spike, back in the day, with the old fella himself.
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Category: Opinion | Tags: barrage balloons, cancer, cigarettes, england, grandad, grandparents, gravedigger, london, POSTADAY, ww2, wwII
Lovely photo! He looks so happy to have you 🙂
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The more I look at the foto now, the more I agree 🙂 Thanks Niki Marie…
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Such love in his eyes for little you. Lovely photo.
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Good looks must run in the family there, Spike. 😀
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Haha
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Well aren’t you the cutie 🙂 nice human interest photo
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Was… yep 🙂
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Thank you so much for sharing this story Uncle Spike, it’s such an honor to hear the story of your grandpa. Mine passed away exactly 7 months ago today, and words can’t describe how much I love and miss him. Granparents are something to be grateful for, the world is a better place because of them.
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Grandparents*
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Indeed Yael. At least you got to to have him in your life through to adulthood. All my grandparents died before I was 13.
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His smile says it all!!!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
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Lovely photo and what a treasure. Those bloody awful cigarettes 😦
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And I still went on to smoke…
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Tough not to when it’s all around. I facilated tobacco cessation classes for quite a few years. It’s not easy to break the habit that’s for sure.
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Thankfully I quit 23 years ago 🙂
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Fantastic! Good for you and not an easy thing for most.
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Just one part of a 2 year turnaround I did in my life back then
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Good for you!
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I’ve a similar one of me and my grandad who also died in the seventies. I often wish if known him longer.
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Always lose the best ones first
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Yep, it’s so frustrating that you can’t know them as adults.
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Thankfully my mum is almost an exact copy of my gran (her mom), and is now 80, so already 7 years older than they had lived.
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That’s great. Do you get to see here often?
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She lives alone in the UK, but travels all over the world still, alone (mad adventurer). She’ll be over here in October for a couple of weeks – usually here for 8 weeks a year
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That’s fantastic. You’re very lucky.
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That is so sweet.What a lovely photograph. Photographs don’t get better than that. 🙂
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Had it years, but it’s grown’ on me 🙂
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Lovely image!
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Excellent post!
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Thanks… delayed response due to an overexcited spam filter.
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What a great picture. You can tell he loved you!
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Thanks – yep, you’re right there
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What a lovely photograph! He looks so proud of you and you look so interested in him.
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I was blessed on my mothers side for sure
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This is absolutely a adorable pic. All the respect for your grandpa. And look at lil uncle spikey 🙂
xx
Aanchal
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😀
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