Continued from last month.
The next move in 1961 came suddenly. Mum's Dad gave them £40.00 to buy stock. We had 13 cows but no sheep. They bought the 2nd prize milk cow at Penrith Auction which turned out to be a disaster as after a couple of months it was found to be infected with the contagious Johnnes disease. The vet advised immediate slaughter. The other cows got it and went the same way. With no compensation in those days I don't know what we lived on with no milk cheque coming in each month until the quarantine time elapsed .
The drugs administered to Dad when he had Meningitis left him with slightly brittle bones. The leg he had broken for the second time at Claylands was plastered up and while Mum Garth and I were hand planting 1/2 acre of potatoes, Dad was supposed to be resting but, as we know, he was the worlds worst patient and took no notice of any body in those circumstances. His theory was that on crutches he could dib the holes with his crutch. This almost sounded plausible except once pushed into the stitch he couldn't: get it out again. After digging him out several times it was unanimous that we leave him stuck till we had finished the lob. Another time saw Dad with a broken hand. Dr. Cranston plastered it up forming a loop of plaster reinforced with a bent 6" nail from 1st finger to thumb so that a hay fork would fit through. Dad could now carry on building hay pikes that stood out for weeks to sweat out before being swept down and forked into the sink mow.
After the Johnes disease disaster, Dad came to Sedbergh to buy some straw from Stan Bracken ready for starting again. Mable Woof who owned the butchers shop in Finkle Street was at Stan's and wanted to sell it. I can remember Mum and Dad talking into the early hours about the pluses and minuses of such a move.
They sold the farm, bought the little shop in Finkle Street and Mounsey's shop with the flats above to live in where the shop is today.
1966 Dad was in hospital leaving Mum to run the shop with me (just left school) and Garth on the van rounds. With galIstones, galIbladder, two ulcers and appendix removed, Dad returned home well to make a full recovery.
Another of Dads favourite pastimes was driving. 1969 was their Silver Wedding Anniversary. The first real holiday. They toured round Norway. A couple more trips to Norway followed.
Other holidays throughout the UK followed. Always just Mum and Dad together enjoying each others company.
1975 and Dad was back in Newcastle Hospital having a brain tumour removed. We nearly lost him that time but, Dad being Dad, he landed back home again with Mum nursing him back to a full recovery once again. Dad always made a joke about such things like this brain operation so we always returned the banter by suggesting to him, that they had not put it all back.
After this ordeal partial retirement was always on the cards. Full retirement was not in Dads vocabulary. In Sedbergh they had moved from the flat in Finkle Street to Underfell, Joss lane to 2 Queens drive and then to their last home Jim and Florence Pickthal's Flat at Highfield in 1987.
1991 and a new water main was dug down Howgill Lane. The new tarmac was poor and sunk. Dad walking down, stepped back to let a car past and broke his ankle in the ensuing fall in the sunken trench. Steel plates and screws are still in place following the operation to put his ankle back together. Dad made yet another recovery but often said the ankle felt cold. We used to cheer him up by telling him that he was now of some value as scrap metal was making a good price at the time.
For several years up to 1991 Dad ran the over 60's club. Wednesday was tea, coffee, biscuits, dominoes and cards. Funds raised went. towards regular coach t rips. On one trip, afternoon tea was to be taken at the Tan Hill Inn. Once inside his busload of old girls as he called them. (who were nearly all younger than him) forgot about tea and scones. Sherries and Mackeson Stout, was the order with cards and dominoes. By the time he got them all out and loaded back on the bus they were all three sheets to the wind. Singing and joking like never before, they arrived back in Sedbergh. It was declared the best trip ever.
When Dad retired from running the over 60's, the club closed. The remaining funds bought a new bed at the hospice in Kendal.
Dad spent many hours in the shed making clocks and latterly in the house, wooden models. -All just out of his head or from a picture. After Mum passed away, this helped to keep his very active mind occupied.. It also kept him still while the shingles he had, and the hernia operation last year, healed up.
Dad spent many hours going down to the shop to see what Garth was up to, then on to find me to see what I was pulling down or building up. He always left saying the same words. "Right, I can't stop. I've got too much to do" and off he would go to glue another couple of bits of wood to his latest model.
Dad still continued to play the songs he loved on a keyboard in the hall and a Hammond organ, in the bedroom. Glen Miller's Moonlight Serenade was on the music stand when he went into hospital. It was played at the church.
He made so many friends in his life, it is impossible to thank you all for the priceless kindness you have shown to Dad and Mum over the years. We thank you so much. We have been proud to witness it.
On the many occasions when the happy memories with Mum would not go away, Dad would take a picture of Mum and go back to the local spots where they used to picnic. Killington Lake, Tarn Hows, Uldale, Sunbiggin Tarn, Hartley and many more. He missed Mum so much.
When he went into hospital 2 weeks before he died, it was just to get a bit of a top up and give his legs a rest. Having been there a few days, he wanted to be with Mum and he used that same dogged, sometimes exasperating, determination of his to wish himself to be with his beloved wife Primrose, and he did just that.
They are back together again now forever.