Sunday 1 July 2012

Premature Octogenerian


After a family feud, not of my own making I must add, we've recently reestablished contact with my father's lovely younger sister, Margaret, and her husband; Brian has a significant birthday coming up, so we took over a card & and present and had a pub lunch with them both. Reaching eighty is no mean achievement and I told him as much. 'I guess it is' he said, 'I'll tell you next year if and when I get there. I'll only be seventy nine.' D'oh!

Many years ago, Brian was in The Parachute Regiment. If you look hard enough you'll see him (and loads more Paras) in 1953's Red Beret starring Alan Ladd. One of the many stories Brian tells is of his first package holiday to Spain in the early 70s - when the trolley dolly was serving him a beer he told her: 'This is the first plane I've ever been on that I've not had to jump out of.'

Happy Birthday Uncle Brian. And, anyway, every birthday is significant.

3 comments:

  1. Love that quip to the stewardess, Brian sounds like quite a character. Good that you're back in contact - life really is too short.

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  2. He is. And you're right, it is.

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  3. Great post!
    Btw all families have feuds some endure generations - glad you have sorted things out.

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