Goodbye Uncle Dermott

Today's post is postponed due the passing away of our Uncle Dermott.

Instead, I want to tell you about him.

This is him (mid 1970s) playing a bedpan in Quiver (last place that god created!)

The first time I met him was on Christmas Day 1998. It was at his and Aunty Plant's house. A lovely big farm house. I remember a long drive, a big welcoming kitchen with an Aga. When Huffle and I got there he was out at the pub with Grandad.

When they came back from the pub, Uncle Dermott walked into the dining room (we were all seated at this point) wearing an all in one rompa suit, it was striped black and red. I thought it was a joke because I was there, but apparently it was his lounge wear. When he found out I was a vegetarian he took the 'mickey' out of me constantly. In fact I think I was the butt of his jokes for the rest of the day.

He spent the next 12 years doing just that but I learnt to fight back. I thought he was a chauvenist but it didn't take me long to realise he was a big softy.

He was a big man, tall, not slim but really by big, I mean a big personality. He filled the room wherever he was. He loved his sport and took Huffle and Mr Gator to the Ryder Cup in the mid 80's at the Belfry. He has been a shop owner, a landlord, owned a golf range. He loved going to America to see his son Mr Gator and his wife Mrs Gator. America was a place (in Huffle's view) that matched his personality.

Moo remembers him being constantly 'waited on', him expecting the women to run around after him. A man of a bygone era. He loved to take the Mickey out of her too. She always fell for it though and bit back!

Huffle remembers one of his sayings being :"Deary me today tomorrow". Which Huffle still uses to this day. When Huffle and Mr Gator were very young, Huffle vaguely remembers some bells being rung outside their window (Christmas Eve), he swears it was Uncle Dermott.

Mrs Gator's brother 'Perry' told us about a game of golf he once had with him. uncle Dermott got hit on the head by a golf ball, it was bleeding, but he carried on and finished the game. Competitive!!!!!!!!! He was not the type of person who would let you win, you had to earn it.

Him and Aunty Plant visited us in our old house inthe Uk before we came over. He told us a story............

He was eight, it was close to Christmas, and he sneaked into his parents room and found a bike stored away in the back of a cupboard. He thought it was for him. He knew he couldn't say anything else he would get into trouble for sneaking into their room. He knew he had to be really good else it could be taken away. He was especially good right up until Christmas morning. He looked under the tree and there was no bike. It turned out to be for a neighbours son and his parents were hiding it for them. He couldn't say anything because again he would get into trouble for sneaking into their room so he had to stay silent, and sad!

I asked the boys what they remembered about him and mainly they remember the trophies he won at the gardening show he did each year. There was a carrot shaped like a pair of trousers and a pumpkin that we had to carry in Smallest's pushchair - it was soooo heavy. He liked to look surprised when they shouted his name and said he had won (even though we think he knew he had won most things).

This is at the garden show - Smallest is telling him he hasn't won a trophy. I can almost hear Uncle Dermott saying "You what??????"

This is his pumpkin (also won a prize) but too heavy to carry, we turfed Smallest out and made him walk so we could carry the 'precious'.

The last time he visited us was in our old house in the UK (probably weeks before we relocated). We had a fish and chip supper. The boys played with him lots. Smallest brought his big bear 'pooh' down to see him (Uncle Dermott and Aunty Plant bought it for him three years ago and it still has pride of place on his bed).

 

 

 

 

 

Our thoughts and love are sent back to the family.

Today is a sad day for all who knew him.