Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Uncle Bill.
I think that almost everybody in my generation has an Uncle Bill.
My Bill had one.
I had one too.
Today that little word "had" has a poignant ring to it. My Uncle Bill died in the early hours of this morning.
Uncle Bill was my mother's younger brother. They had a tough childhood, loosing their own mother at a very early age.
They were farmed out to aunts and uncles for a while and then returned to their father when he had found a step mother for them; she seemed not to know how to give and receive love, but there was a a semblance of security I guess.
Uncle Bill was a railway man, as was his father, grandfather and great grandfather before him before him. The latter received some notoriety after his tragic death in the Sevenoaks train crash of 1884.
My brother, Roger must have inherited the railway genes.
Perhaps I inherited from other members of the family - the ones who were wheelers and dealers in junk and antiques etc.
Uncle Bill liked nothing better than talking about the intricacies of railways - not the engines, more the engineering of the track.
Uncle Bill was born June 5th 1926 - a couple of years after my mother.
He would always comment that he went to France for his 18th.
He was amongst those who went to the Normandy Beaches the day before D Day.
This is a bit later.
After the war, Uncle Billy looked very dapper. This was 1948.
Here is Uncle Bill at our house in 1999.
In 2006, Uncle Billy was 80.
Here are Roger and I with our Uncle Bill.
And here he is with his 3 offspring - Rod, Alison and Chris.
My Bill had one.
I had one too.
Today that little word "had" has a poignant ring to it. My Uncle Bill died in the early hours of this morning.
Uncle Bill was my mother's younger brother. They had a tough childhood, loosing their own mother at a very early age.
They were farmed out to aunts and uncles for a while and then returned to their father when he had found a step mother for them; she seemed not to know how to give and receive love, but there was a a semblance of security I guess.
Uncle Bill was a railway man, as was his father, grandfather and great grandfather before him before him. The latter received some notoriety after his tragic death in the Sevenoaks train crash of 1884.
My brother, Roger must have inherited the railway genes.
Perhaps I inherited from other members of the family - the ones who were wheelers and dealers in junk and antiques etc.
Uncle Bill liked nothing better than talking about the intricacies of railways - not the engines, more the engineering of the track.
Uncle Bill was born June 5th 1926 - a couple of years after my mother.
He would always comment that he went to France for his 18th.
He was amongst those who went to the Normandy Beaches the day before D Day.
This is my mother and Uncle Bill. It must be very close in date to the loss of their mother.
This is a bit later.
If you enlarge the picture you might see a close similarity between me and both my mother and my Aunty Vera.
It was such a short while ago that we gathered for Aunty Vera's funeral.
Uncle Bill had been sad to miss that, but he was already too weak.
After the war, Uncle Billy looked very dapper. This was 1948.
Here he is on his wedding day - also 1948.
He fell in love and married his own special Vera.
Life was never the same for him after she died in 1992.
The years passed. There were visits sometimes - but not really often enough. The brother and sister had drifted apart a little, though not I think, in their hearts.
Uncle Billy and Vera were always welcome visitors within the extended family.
Uncle Billy and Vera were always welcome visitors within the extended family.
Here they are with our Ashley at a party for my Dad's 70th birthday and Matt's 18th birthday in 1989.
I am so happy that they were able to be there.
The link between my Dad and Uncle Bill had been lost after the early death of my mother.
But our extended family, from all branches is important.
Here is Uncle Bill at our house in 1999.
Uncle Bill was very shocked when I was diagnosed with cancer and became extremely ill. I think it was in his mind that he could make up for not being close enough to his sister (my mother) when she had cancer.
It was not Uncle Billy's fault - just part of the circumstances of life.
I know that Roger and I never once considered that anybody had let her down.
In 2006, Uncle Billy was 80.
He clearly enjoyed the family party at his home.
Here are Roger and I with our Uncle Bill.
And here he is with his 3 offspring - Rod, Alison and Chris.
And so today and era ends.
The older generation are almost gone.
That leaves my Bill to be the Uncle Bill for the succeeding generations.
He is blessed with many nephews and nieces - and even more great nephews and nieces.
I apologise to people who regularly read my ramblings that today is so very personal and family based. But I know you understand.
It has been a busy day here in monkland - many chores completed.
Labels: family
