Welcome to my blog, where I take pleasure in words and pictures, be they my own or those of others. I'm a creative individual, and the crafty side I explore on my 'other blog', Picking Up The Threads, which I hope you'll visit too. I'm sure you understand that I have sole copyright of my original work and any of my contributions, so please ask if you want to use them. A polite request is rarely refused. So, as they used to say on the BBC's 'Listen With Mother' radio programme, many years ago: "Are you sitting comfortably? Then we'll begin."

Friday 30 November 2012

Late Edition

This week's Sepia Saturday photo prompt has a bridge at its centre. There are people rowing under it and others standing upon it. I'm not following a theme for this week's Sepia Saturday submission. Instead, I want to take the opportunity to honour the memory of one of its stars. My Dad, who provided so many stories for my blog, passed away in the early hours of Monday morning. Although I'm sad that he is no longer in my life, I have a store of wonderful memories, some of which I have still to share with you. He had his 91st birthday in July and two days later he and Mum celebrated their 70th Wedding Anniversary; both of these were remarkable achievements by anybody's standards. Mum will miss him of course, but she knows that he is now at peace and this brings her some contentment. They worshipped at our local church for over fifty years and shared a strong belief that they would one day be together again.

Those who have got to know Dad through my blog will remember him as the engaging teenager in Boy on a Bicycle, in his Boys' Brigade uniform in Something For The Boys, the window-breaking footballer in Let's Play a Game, Mum's tennis partner in Love All, her eager suitor in The Reel Thing, a swimwear model in Not Burt and Deborah, an incurable romantic in Not Rhett and Scarlett, the football fan in Goalpost, the proud forage cap wearer in Side Orders and more. Listing them all here reminds me of the many facets of Dad's character, and that's without mentioning that he was a talented amateur artist, he had beautiful 'copperplate' handwriting and was a wonderful ballroom dancer. He was a hard-working breadwinner for his family, and in retirement he gave time to supporting charities, even standing on street corners in his eighties collecting for 'Leukemia Research' whilst the winter winds whistled around him. He had his faults of course; he could be grumpy, at times even belligerent, he was quite fearful of some things and occasionally too trusting of the wrong people and he could be terribly stubborn. He had a habit of saying 'the wrong thing' occasionally and sometimes upset people without meaning to.

Dad was many things to many people, loved by his family and a good and loyal friend, but to me he was simply My Dad. One of my earliest memories is of him sitting on my bed stroking my brow until my eyelids grew heavy, whilst he made up stories of 'Freddie and Flossie Frog'; I was still eagerly listening to his stories until just a few months ago. I would call him and Mum and tell them what I was writing about for that week's Sepia Saturday post and ask them for their memories.

When Dad had his 90th birthday last year I made a special book for him to celebrate his life, and in it was a poem I wrote using old photographs of us together as prompts. Very appropriate for Sepia Saturday. I hope you'll indulge me whilst I share those pages with you now.






©Marilyn Brindley


For more stories and pictures from the past cross the bridge into Sepia Saturday to see what other contributors have made of the interesting photo prompt.

27 comments:

  1. A very touching tribute to a man and a great Dad.

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  2. It is tempting to glorify the positive and politely ignore the negative when writing about a loved one's passing. The most admirable part of this tribute to your dad is that you recognize and accept the total man. If you ever mentioned that your dad enjoyed ballroom dancing, I missed it. Is there anything more romantic than a man who can waltz and fox trot? Your dad was quite a man!

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  3. Lovely post; absolutely lovely.

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  4. Marilyn, you had a wonderful Dad; Your tribute to his 91. birthday is very loving and the poetry is beautiful. Many memories to treasure, they will never fade.

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  5. All those memories, Marilyn, they are so valuable. Your Dad was a wonderful man!

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  6. Your Dad is wonderful and will always be. Thank you for sharing!

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  7. A beautiful tribute to your Dad.

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  8. What a great poem for your dad. He must have really cherished it. It brought a tear to my eye. Thanks for posting it for all of us.
    Nancy

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  9. Your memory book and poem are great. You are lucky to have so many nice photos of your Dad.

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  10. Dear Marilyn, I'm sorry for your loss. Despite his old age it is hard to loose someone so close to you. Thank you for your wonderful tribute.

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  11. I'm so sorry for your loss Marilyn. You have many wonderful photos and memories of your Dad. Jo

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  12. What a lovely tribute to your dad! And your book and poem for your dad's birthday celebration are just beautiful.

    I'm so sorry for your loss Marilyn. It sounds like your dad was a wonderful father.

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  13. That is a wonderful tribute to your dad. I'm glad you were able to share it with him. The things unsaid are often the biggest regrets.

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  14. You had done a great job with that book. We all pay tribute the way we can. You've seen in the past what I did for my mom already. It is most appropriate that you share this now, in your time of loss and sorrow, remembering better times.

    BIGHUGZ

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  15. It is nice to have the memories. And, it links nicely with the theme. The Ancients considered water the link with the afterworld and the beyond. Bridges were often the means of approaching the realm of the dead.

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  16. As I've commented many times, we are introduced to the nicest people on Sepia Saturday. Whether they are a nameless person staring at us glumly from an ancient faded photograph or someone's beloved family member laughing in a snapshot, they all become our new friends too. We celebrate your dad's life with you and as we always say, Thank you for sharing.

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  17. You surely were blessed to have your dad all those years and such wonderful memories that you built and documented in the book. It is wonderful and I am sure he is still smiling at the poem, work, words, photos....yes he is at peace and you and your Mom miss him, but memories are treasures to keep them alive in our hearts. I am glad you shared that here. Very touching. Sorry for the loss but we know life ends and it sounds like he enjoyed his time here...

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  18. Thank you very much to all my Sepia Saturday friends for your support and lovely comments. They are very much appreciated.

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  19. A beautifully written, very moving nostligic tribute to your Dad.

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  20. I'm so sorry I've only now come across this lovely tribute to your father. I must try to take some inspiration from it on how to celebrate a life. I'm afraid I have been out of circulation ever since my husband died very suddenly in October.

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  21. Oh, no, I am so sorry! I remember reading the first part of this, and then I never made it back to finish. I love this post, Marilyn, though it makes me cry. I am so happy that you and your Dad were so close, and had so many special memories together. Thinking of you today, and hoping that your new year is a good one.

    Kathy M.

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  22. Marilyn, I wish you strength during these days and a better new year.

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  23. This post is so heartfelt--sad and uplifting at the same time. What sweet memories. My heart goes out to you.

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  24. A wonderful tribute to an obvious well-loved dad Marilyn.

    My thoughts are with you.

    Anna :o]

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  25. What a beautiful tribute to your father. It's wonderful to see such closeness, and humour, between the two of you. Such treasured memories.

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