Dad

You may have noticed I've been keeping something of a low profile over recent weeks. This is mainly due to the fact that my Dad had taken ill early in August and sadly, unexpectedly, died on Tuesday 31st August 2010.

As you can imagine this has been very hard for all of us in our family to come to terms with especially as, at the time of writing this, his funeral is yet to take place.

As part of the healing process, I guess, I wanted to dedicate a post to my Dad. He was a truly kind and generous man, ready to offer advice when required but knowing when to hold back and let us get on with things our way and helping to put right the mistakes invariably made. He was always the person my sister and I would turn to as young adults for assistance with practical things like putting up wallpaper or changing the wheel on a car. I remember when I first left home and was living in a top floor flat, the skylight keep leaking whenever it rained and it was Dad who clambered on to the roof of the converted Georgian house to renew the flashing and clear the guttering and sort out the problem.

He had a kind manner and infectious sense of humour and a penchant for minor practical jokes. He was always ready to "spin a yarn" and would often keep me believing some made up story for ages before I caught on that Dad was pulling my leg.

I think it was through Dad that Cloddigger and I caught the growing bug and, as regular readers will know, it is with Dad and my Mum that we share our allotment. The allotment was very much shaped by Dad's efforts. He put in so much time and energy to clear the derelict site and turn it into the thriving plot that it now is.

I can't say much more at this time other than I will very much miss you Dad and the allotment and our lives won't quite be the same without you xx