Quote Of The Day

"Victory goes to the player who makes the next-to-last mistake - Chessmaster Savielly Grigorievitch Tartakower (1887-1956)"

Wednesday, December 23, 2020

Hate Crime...

Duty done. Stuart and I were just victims of a crime. A hate crime. Okay maybe not a big crime in some people’s eyes but an important one I think. We were homophonically abused as we walked along the road to the shops to go and buy some food for dinner. 
Three youths cycling in the opposite direction thought it might be fun to swing by us as close as possible and shout “FAGGOT!” in our faces. Well, up with this I will not put! I’ve reported them to the police. It’s a hate crime.  Ok it probably doesn’t really affect Stuart and I particularly deeply - kids behaving like idiots - but there are plenty of people who it would affect.  Profoundly. And I’m not gonna fucking put up with it a few yards from my own fucking front door! Fuckers! 🤬

Update: Met Police just called. They are coming round at 9am tomorrow to take a description of the person. 👍




Wednesday, December 16, 2020

RIP Jon Green... Or, as I called him, Dad.

Dad’s funeral was yesterday. A sad occasion for sure. He was 89 (exactly a month off turning 90), been ill for a while, but when the end comes it is no less of a shock. 

He didn’t die of Covid, but Covid stopped us being at his hospital bedside at the end. Which was shitty to be frank.

My brother Simon and sister Joanna spoke at his funeral - words which were powerful and moving.  I, however, wasn’t going to let the old boy get off quite so lightly. Below were my opening remarks....  


Hello everyone.

You have heard some lovely words today about my father.  
Well, I’m here to puncture a few of those myths! 
 
Today’s eulogy is brought to you by the Letter ‘L”
Listening, Letters, Love, Laughter, and Lists!
 
A great listener, yes
A great letter writer, absolutely 
Hugely likeable, yes
Lots laughter, sure
Utterly unable to Lie, true
Oh, and, let’s not forget fiercely protective of his family, 
Trustworthy
Knowledgeable
An avid reader
Calm
Gallant
And, as if you haven’t guessed, an avid list maker too.
 
That man loved a good list! 

But...  he had weaknesses.

Especially a weakness to chocolate and to booze!
 
Once Myrtle left a shopping list for us when she was away for the night. 
Dad edited it crossing off the boring stuff like bread and soup, adding chocolate and whiskey. 
 
In fact he had a very sweet tooth did Dad. He loved deserts. 
Mum joked there were 3 people in their relationship.
And one of them was a tart. A custard tart.
 
Dad had a great sense of humour. Dry as anything.
 
At a very young age I naively pointed out to him our birthdays fell on the same day of the month. His 26th Dec, mine exactly 9 months after his on 26th Sept.  He just winked at me. At the time I didn’t know why.
In fact that wink was lost on me until my 1st year biology class in secondary school.
That man was playing the long game with at that wink.
 
About 30 years ago (when he was the same age I am now) he and I started to become much closer. I guess in the years before that he was learning how to be a father and me a son. But 30 years ago I started to see things with my father’s eyes
 
He was a role model. Although he modestly never saw himself as such.
I once said to him, "we are all role models whether we want to be or not".
He just smiled. 
He had a great smile.