Bert

Uncle Bert's funeral today, at the Western Necropolis in Glasgow. Met many relatives (mostly for the first time in 30 years, some for the first time ever. I have to say we're a good-looking family! ;)
At over 91, Bert was, I think, the last of that generation of the family. He was in remarkably good health until very shortly before he died. Apparently if anyone remarked on his fitness for his age, he would immediately bend down and touch his toes 12 times! I have to record here that I was inaccurate about his war service a few days ago... I had misremembered and called him a D-Day Dodger (this was an insult that Nancy Astor supposedly gave to those elements of the Eighth Army who, having fought and defeated Rommel in N Africa and invaded Sicily and mainland Italy, did not fight on the beaches of northern France. The army in Italy adopted the the term for themselves, singing a fabulously bitter and sarcastic song "We are the D-Day Dodgers" to the tune of Lili Marlene.) Anyway, I had forgotten that after the desert war and the invasions of Italy, Bert's unit had been recalled to Blighty and sent across the Channel to fight there as well. Some war he had, about 4 years of constant battle.

A very fine service today (I had no idea that Bert's grandson Martin was a Reverend!), followed by a bite in the Maryhill Burgh Hall and a blether with the cousins: Aileen, Ian, Pam and Alistair from my generation, and meeting folks from the Mitchell side, too.