No scanner!

Hmmm! There are several photos I want to scan, from photos I took B.D. - Before Digital - but my scanner is playing silly beggers just now and I can't use it! I left it too late to get to the library today to get them scanned and emailed back to me, so I have booked my turn for the scanner for 11 a.m. tomorrow... but it means no scrapbook layouts today, I'm afraid.

The main pictures I wanted for layouts include one of John who died recently, and one of Cyril, brother-in-law of my great friend Edwina and husband of Jean who is also a good friend. Sadly - can you believe it - Cyril died suddenly at the weekend. I can hardly take it in. He, like John, was full of life, full of fun, energetic - larger than life you might say. Since the kids grew up and left home, he and Jean used to go holidaying in their caravan and often used to have weekends here in Peebles where I would join them at the caravan or for a walk round the town and 'refreshments' at one of the local pubs which sold the type of beer he preferred. In fact I had only recently had an email from Jean to say that they were planning another visit here soon, and I was looking forward to seeing them both again.

I first met Cyril and Jean when Edwina was still living in Edinburgh. She and I had met at our local folk pub and got along from the start, and often at weekends we would head off down to East Lothian to see her 'big sister' (who always cooked up lovely dinners for us to enjoy). (Strangely, my 'wee sister' is also called Jean). Cyril was always the clown. He teased the living daylights out of us and in those days in the early 70s when mini skirts were 'in', took great delight in grabbing a knee (one of ours) between knuckle and thumb and squeezing hard! He always seemed to hit the right spot to have us shouting for mercy! Several years before, he had lost the fingers of his right hand in an accident, and even when in pain, as he must have been, I understand he encouraged his colleagues to look for his fingers, joking all the while about Fish Fingers. The fingers couldn't be fixed, but what a strength he built up in his knuckles and thumb! My knees are tensing right now at the memory!

Another strong memory of Cyril was in 1978 when he, a Welshman himself, organised a trip to Cardiff Arms Park to see Wales play Scotland in the rugby international. He hired a minibus and together with several Scots supporters from the village, Edwina, also Welsh, and me, set off down the road. It was a hilarious journey, and once in Wales, Cyril had fun tooting the horn and waving at people as if he knew them! He wanted to demonstrate that people would wave back, thinking they had been recognised by friends... and they did! Unfortunately Wales hammered the Scots, but it didn't stop us all having a great time in the pub after the game with Cyril being in his element among his own countrymen!

After Edwina married and moved south, Jean, Cyril and I continued our friendship and I would see them from time to time either in Peebles or at their home. Cyril kept, and bred cockatiels, lovebirds and quails in an aviary in the garden, so there was often a visit to talk to them, or I would admire the garden itself and sample his strawberries! The last time I saw him was on Boxing Day, when Edwina and Gerard came up to spend Christmas with them both and the kids, Mandy and Susan, Mandy's partner, and her daughter, and I was invited along for the day. It was a lovely day, Cyril still teasing us all and, as ever, pretending we were 'pains in the neck', and although I took photos, the only one I got of Cyril was when he had fallen asleep on the sofa after dinner!

Well, tomorrow I will have a scrapbook page or two to show you, so talk again then. In the meantime, spare a wee thought for Jean and the girls.