After the service

This is Crimond church this afternoon. Five minutes before the church looked completely different. It was full of mourners, the family and friends of my pal Billy, his coffin and lots of flowers proclaiming DAD, GRANDA and great-granda. Billy was one of life's characters, once met never forgotten. He was a raconteur, author, DJ, horse-whisperer, trucker, local historian, friend of gypsy travellers and much more. I knew him as a volunteer who helped me nearly 30 years ago when I first came to Mintlaw to work. I haven't seen much of him over the last few years but when I did we always had a good blether and a bosie.

"And it's from the old I travel to the new; keep me travelling along with you"