Too much information

Dad wrote an intermittent journal from 1970 onwards and during the past 15 years or so edited it into a more coherent whole. As he went along he decided to dig deeper into his past and produced a series of Recollections of his earlier life. It's been fascinating reading. For example, it makes you realise how unconnected we are now with our food when he writes of growing vegetables as a matter of course; how impersonal our lives are when he describes visiting village shops where you were known respectfully and personally. He would never say he had to graft in the way that many did (he was a research engineer) but he certainly would never consider buying a replacement for anything unless it was truly beyond being mended, an attitude that is foreign to many of us now.

Anyway, I finally finished the obituary for his old university college today and it's been sent off. As you might have realised, it's taken me so long because I've had the treasure of his personal memories to raid, and even though I'd been through them before for the Appreciation at his funeral I've found new nuggets. Plus a lovely tribute from an old work colleague for the BBC's in-house publication (Dad worked all bar 2 years of his career for the Beeb) which needed referencing.

So a day of remembering his gentle presence and whimsical humour, his huge curiosity and, most of all, him just being Dad.