I am here to Celebrate Owen as a brother uncle and friend
I'm going to talk about his life and my part in it in a random order so bear with me . I will answer questions later .
2 ½ years older -
different friends He was a kind soul occasionally he was a bit
grumpy but never any malice .Looking back he has Asperger's but then
he was simply regarded as a bit shy He once spent a whole hour in a
model shop because he was too shy to ask for what he wanted as others
were in the shop
We were Not that close but always enjoyed a
family life shared . We first Lived in a part rental property No2
Broxash road with our first Nigerian tenants The reason our family
has prospered is that both my parents were only children and as my
father wanted to be a writer they invested in cheap ( at that time )
property which they could rent out for an income . Arnold actually
worked out that those old houses over the years actually put on more
value that all the money he made working .
We then moved to a huge Victorian corner house in Henderson road . where We actually shared a bedroom . I remember him having an extra half an hour with the lights on and him passing me glow in the dark play do so I could read under the covers . This is why as a parent I never gave you guys a compulsory bed time just a sort of compulsory get up time .
This was when my grandmother was with us and our mum was working from home in a makeshift office as a volunteer for Wandsworth council for community relations . My mum was worried about the bomb and race troubles – Apparently we went on the anti nuclear bomb march to Aldermaston in the 60s . This group soon became official within the council – hence I had loads of non white friends notably Amir Malik and went to loads of Muslim and Hindu weddings . She soon became sick of the BS and when the council shut the place down her section - teaching English as a second language was moved into a school .eventually she ended up as head of that department for the whole borough of Wandsworth.
Back to Henderson road - My mum knew I was fair and asked me to pick from the two now spare bedrooms – I picked the smaller one as Owen was older and there were no arguments over this .
Emanuel school – cadet force camps night exercise – trod on but not seen Scotland Kinloss nimrod flight . me no as the year I would have joined it wasn't compulsory and I didn't want to be the only kid who joined voluntarily
Growing up – general friends visits – board games – war games – Avalon hill hexagon maps – pre-computer – ww2 tank battles sand table. Xavier
Family holidays – Isle of wight – sixties me broken arm – I don't remember this . Mum Margaret the only driver Arnold never learned . Owen had lessons and passed his test at Margaret's insistence ( as some employers required it ) but he never drove an inch after the test
then Oatville-sur-mere - west coast mid Normandy - day trip to Jersey great but dad had to sit in cockpit as we rushed out of airport and hired a taxi instead of on the booked tour . Great place – full of bunkers left by the Germans who occupied it without a fight Probably about 1970 .
then isle of moins ( monks Island ) gulf of Morbiahn Brittany . Longer drive further south
Swimming – inflatable boat sand fleas castles Weeks beach Carnac . stayed with french family French kids bullying/ teasing in garden him pushed hi down slide and pushed stuff after him kids stuff – I lost temper and fort them off to rescue him . The family were impressed at how fierce I was
Russia with family
I left home Kyrle road then Greenford – Julie me and my uk friends – Jason Emil Nick John Yorkshire walking Ron Crossland tours Julie and him stayed on some days – camped in my van – the Ox julie laughed as I actually literally made the bed ( needed a saw ) on arrival
Owen stayed and went on numerous holidays especially Rhine cruises Venice with them also went to Switzerland on personal train trips and the Uk weekrail rovers right up to Scotland . Owen felt unwell mum poo-pooed it but my dad insisted he got checked out and it transpired that he diabetes Diabetes - late 80s
A bit lazy – he got into Imperial college but didn't work hard enough . He was clever enough to cram things in last minute for exams previously but here that wasn't good enough – He had to re take both first and second years and he eventually transferred to Kingston ( polytechnic then ) and finished his downgraded course there . He got a job offer from British rail but they withdrew it when he failed at Imperial . He was an avid reader and would even read books whilst walking along the street – When he had time he read 4 or even more books a day – He loved History and through his reading had accrued massive knowledge in that and other fields he was interested in .
On leaving Kingston he got a job with London transport – he liked buses too . He stuck with that for 20 years plus after it got hived off into transport for London . .He simply went from going to school to going to work without considering the bigger picture as Julie noted . Our mother died and the family home had to be sold to pay taxes . Julie brilliant idea was for Owen and Emil to move into a family rental – Broomwood road . Emil had lived with Owen and our mum since my father died ) . My old school chum Nick Lefebve was already living there .
He also bought a place on
the Isle of wight for his retirement dream Property there was a
fraction of the London price and was already living happily there –
His priority was a home large enough for his planned railway
layout . He had enough money to indulge his model railway passion
regularly going to shows across southern England and buying more and
more rolling stock and locomotives which he took down to the island
on his frequent visits . He and parents visited very regularly for
family events and holidays He designed a layout across two rooms (
about 15 wide by 30 long ) I built the base and often suggested I
would stay for a week and sort out the track but he wanted to do this
unaided at some time in the future – he had laid a bit of track but
mostly stacked models on it for the retirement he never had .
His cleanliness had always been an issue – no idea why – My father once joked there should be a sign above his bedroom door which said “ Abandon soap all ye who enter here “
He never thought that much about his long term health – he eat too much and badly which led to his diabetes . I was always worried he was prime Covid territory and when it arrived he worked entirely from home so he avoided the disease . Unfortunately like many his fitness and health got worse due to lack of exercise . Eventually his chronic toe issue ( which started way back with a toenail removal because as a youth he injured it falling into a drainage hole in a dark old railway tunnel he was exploring ) This now required a toe amputation – he was admitted to hospital and had the op .All was going well until ( although he arrived uninfected ) he then tested positive for Covid – They put him on the Covid ward – no visitors – He eventually got back onto a normal ward and was actually enjoying the hospital food and looking forward to getting home – when weirdly he was found actually dead on the ward as apparently his lungs were not working enough and the lack of oxygen caused his heart to stop – He had had heart issues previously . They got him back but it was all in vein – a month in intensive care mostly on a ventilator ending when toxic shock from his still infected foot finished him off .
Its sad he never got to come over here but at least he did meet Linda at the field of battle in Gettysburg – we flew to meet him there previously when he was on one of his railway holidays with a group of fellow enthusiast .
Lets all have a minute of silence and follow with some Johnny Cash – which he loved .
Music ?
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