The Wansdyke & District Forums

Some of you will have seen Janet's notice on the other board. I wanted to say my own piece here, in the Snug, where George and I did most of our nattering. He went peaceful in the end, his daughter wrote to me, in his own bed with the down out the window. Ninety-one. We never did meet, in all the years, two old fools three mile apart who found each other on a machine neither of us trusted. But he gave me back the names my gran half remembered, and I gave him somebody to give them to, and I do not think either of us was lonely quite the same way after. I shall miss him more than I can rightly say for a man I never shook by the hand. Light a candle for old George if you light them. He'd have laughed at the fuss.

He mattered, Nan, more than he ever once believed. His drove names are in the society record now, every one of them, attributed to George exactly as I promised him. They will outlast all of us. That is not nothing, and it is largely down to you for badgering him into writing them down. He would never have, otherwise.

I am sorry, Nan. I only knew him through here, but the Snug is a smaller room tonight. Candle lit on the boat for him. The water will carry it.

Thank you both. Pat that is a lovely thing to think, the candle going off down the water. He would have liked that, being seen off by a boat. I keep going to tell him something and then remembering. I expect that will ease. It is just very quiet on the down without knowing he is over the other side of it, typing away at his old machine and getting cross with it. Right. I shall stop before I set myself off again. Thank you for letting me say it here.