Thank you all for your kind words. Could this possibly be the legendary Dr Chinn whose epic dieting advice ‘if you want to loose weight use a smaller plate’ gave us a lot of amusement.  Bob/Dad possibly after a few too many whiskeys shared this advice with Jill/Mum.  Now one of our Mum’s main missions in life has always been to take the best possible care of Dad especially with regard to his weight.  Hence he needed to sneak crisps and mars bars at the club and leave a mess for JC!

I am sure you can imagine Bob’s face when ever after his dinner came on a small plate. The sad puppy dog eyes and claims of being deprived were only surpassed by the outrage and indignation when Ben went for lunch and got a big plate!

Also John I must tell you that Dad didn’t really have diabetes. I have this on very good authority, Bob told us very firmly that he was only making up the numbers because the doctor needed to tick the boxes on the form to get a bonus! Needless to say Mum didn’t believe him and shouldn’t think anyone else did.

I too remember Dad’s brilliant tapping people on the shoulder technique. He may have learned it from a swan that flew into him tapping him on the shoulder while he was rowing down the river in the early 50’s.  He certainly used it to good effect when my brother was sculling down the river and became tangled up in a fisherman’s line. The irate man shouted lots of rude things at Ian one intimating that he didn’t have a father. Dad coaching Ian at the time, was very quick to tap the fisherman on the shoulder and assure the poor man that Ian did indeed have a father! 

I have received emails from Westcombe industries and Peterborough Symphony Orchestra who have agreed for me to share them here.

As you say, your dad and mum were great supporters of the orchestra and attended almost every concert. I remember when they asked if they could be seated near the double bass players as they were bringing their grandson who was learning to play the instrument. I also remember how, after the concert, they took the trouble to thank the bass players, through me, for the time they spend chatting to their grandson. The players were very touched and grateful for that.

I do hope that you will have some more great memories to add to the page marking the life of someone who was obviously a very fine man.

Please accept my condolences and those of the Friends and also pass them them one to your mum.

Janet Frusher The Friends of the City of Peterborough Symphony Orchestra. 

Our hearts and best wishes are with you at this sad time, from everyone at Westcombe Engineering.   I had the pleasure of meeting your Father during his numerous his visits to Westcombe Engineering,where he joined us for Christmas Lunches along with his good friend John Westcombe.   A wonderfully delightful man, I am so very grateful for John for giving me the opportunity of meeting him and sharing some very fond memories of his time at Westcombe Engineering. I do hope he was so proud to see how far the business has progressed since he retired.   Andrew Lesiw  Manging Director of Westcombe Engineering.