Those Handsome Fellas

Whilst cleaning out Dad's mancave yesterday I found this photo of him and Grandad...and I have to say its one of my very favorite pics of them both.
I absolutely adored my very gruff and macho grandfather who  on his softer side drew very simple pencil drawings of roses and houses with white picket fences ..houses that he would dream about living in but being from the poorer part of London and very low on the food chain always lived in either slum like dwellings (which us kids loved) or council flats. 

I remember when I went back to England to see them...I was 18 years old and after navigating my way to their new abode (which was like finding ones way in a rabbit warren .......and they didn't know I was coming)...when he opened the door I was smiling like a loon ... he said 'well.. whatcha want' I said 'its ME your grandaughter'.....'oh hello mate come in and have a cup of tea'...I will never forget that.
I would go and play Bingo with him a lot ..he was very proud of me ....his grandaughter from Australia..... and I bought him a very nice set of colouring pencils....I loved his little drawings and the way he would love and look after his flower boxes of fuchias...his dancing ladies he would call them.... that sadly would often get trashed by the 'shitheads' that also lived in the council flats.

I do have to write another story about my grandad ..........He fought in both world wars shooting buzz bombs down  from the coast to stop them from getting to London ( I often wonder what he must of been like then)...anyway I think he saw a bit more than anyone should of..like so many men that fought in the war and I think that was why he spent most of his days in the pub. One day us kids were sitting around the little fire in the scullery and grandad came home...he had been drinking rum. He staggered into the room sat in his chair by the fire for a bit then got up and projectile vomited into the fire...because it was rum it blew the whole fire place up a firery ball exploded....us kids thought that it was just the best thing ever .....what excitement.

Unfortunately this image was a reproduction of a very poor scan from the original so I ripped it out of its frame and brought it home.
With the help of Peter the master of mono (hmm that has a nice ring) after much trial and little error managed to bring it to life.
I think that what I loved about this old photo was the fact that even though these two blokes probably didn't have 2 ha'peth to rub together they still managed to look really dapper..........to me they are such a handsome pair.

I know I am writing about and referencing my dad a lot but it seems to be helping me to honor him and easing a bit of the rawness of him being gone now.

Oh yes I think this was either taken at Brighton or Battersea...I am leaning toward Brighton.