To My Dad on your 80th Birthday

A Long Story

This is a picture of Great Grampy Lovesey, he is the fine old gentleman on the far left sporting a lovely beard. As far as I remember it was his daughter who married my Grampy Parker who is shown at his wedding in the picture to your right. I love these old pictures and the stories they tell.

Grampy Parker was a real bedfordshire man, who must have thought his son's children (Zeltus and Me) were complete idiots as we didn't understand his strong bedfordshire accent when we returned to the UK after many years abroad.

Dad was one of four siblings and was the oldest boy, born on 17th March 1931. This picture is only one of two I have where they are all together and I can't remember when it was taken but Dad (second from left) looks fairly youthful.

Left to Right, David, Dad, Lil and Sheila.

The other picture of the four of them was taken at Sheila's 70th birthday a few years before Dad died in 2002.

For Dad's 70th birthday, Zeltus and I, clubbed together and brought a trial flight for Dad. He had long held an ambition to fly above Cranfield and take some aerial photos.

He went up on a lovely sunny day, 3rd September 2001, I remember the day well as it was a short year later that he passed away peacefully while sleeping; we were on holiday in Cornwall at the time.

Back to the day of the flight : Dad booked in and was given the regulation safety tour of the plane and what was going to happen during the flight. Dad had his camera ready, but never took any photo's as he was too busy flying the plane and had the time of his life. He even had the controls on landing, though I am sure the qualified pilot probably had the major part in doing the landing.

For weeks afterwards, Dad would talk about that day, and how much he had enjoyed it. I would like to have thought that for his 80th we would have been able to persuade him to repeat the experience.

Happy Birthday Dad, lots of love on your 80th, you may not be here in person but here in spirit xx