A strange day at work

[StephenL]

Today was the day they brought my boss home. He died on the 12 December, aged 96 - the oldest peer of the realm. He's being buried on Monday, with all the pomp and circumstance normally awarded to royalty. But today they brought his remains in the coffin to lie in state over the weekend in the marble hall where I work. And I was asked to be present, along with his immediate family, when they brought him in. This will be a day I won't forget in a hurry - fairly unique!

[Graham_of_Rainham]

Re: A strange day at work

Stephen,

I expect you must feel honoured to have been included in what is, after all, a very private family moment.

Regards

[JohnGG]

Re: A strange day at work

I read his obituary over Christmas on the Telegraph web site. It sounds like he packed a lot into his 96 years and kept active in society long beyond the time most people have quietly taken a back-seat. He must have had some interesting anecdotes, I hope he shared some of them so that they are not forgotten.

A day to remember indeed!

Cheers,

JohnGG

[gno]

Re: A strange day at work

I read his obituary over Christmas on the Telegraph web site. It sounds like he packed a lot into his 96 years and kept active in society long beyond the time most people have quietly taken a back-seat. He must have had some interesting anecdotes, I hope he shared some of them so that they are not forgotten.

A day to remember indeed!

Cheers,

JohnGG

Post a link JohnGG I was trying to find out a bit about him and was not getting very far.

Regards

Gavin

[StephenL]

Re: A strange day at work

We found that the Times obit. gives a better idea of the man!

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/com...cle5366854.ece

[JohnGG]

Re: A strange day at work

Post a link JohnGG I was trying to find out a bit about him and was not getting very far.

Regards

Gavin

Here's a link to the Telegraph piece: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obit...and-March.html

Cheers,

JohnGG

[gno]

Re: A strange day at work

Thanks Stephen and John for the links,

I did like the anecdotes about the golf buggy and guarding the royal turd very amusing.

He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

Gavin

[theMusicMan]

Re: A strange day at work

Lovely obit in the times there, I enjoyed reading that. He was, indeed, a great man, and will be sorely missed I am sure.

[StephenL]

Re: A strange day at work

He did that when he was 95. He staggered to the back door of the house (about a mile away through the woods) and we had to look for the buggy. It took an hour to locate it (literally upside down in a deep water-filled ditch) and a day to recover it!

I did like the anecdotes about the golf buggy

Gavin

When we're in the pub I'll tell you the tale about his hearing aids. It can't be printed!!

[DerekW]

Re: A strange day at work

hearing aids

did they end up in the false teeth glass on his bedside table <g>

[StephenL]

Re: A strange day at work

Oh no, it involves where he put the batteries! And he said he could then hear better.

hearing aids

did they end up in the false teeth glass on his bedside table <g>

[Zuiko]

Re: A strange day at work

We found that the Times obit. gives a better idea of the man!

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/com...cle5366854.ece

Thanks for this link, Stephen, it was an interesting and fitting tribute to a great man to whom, through his lifelong dedication to conservation, we all owe a debt of gratitude.

[StephenL]

Re: A strange day at work

Update - the funeral was yesterday and went off very well. He was borne through the grounds on a simple farmers cart (the cart, not the farmer) drawn by a single dray horse to Aberlady church. I could not attend the service as I was on "house" duty supervising the 35 catering staff. About 400 people came back to the house afterwards for hot nibbles and drink. Towards the end of the day all the estate staff gathered at one end of the house and gave the old man a good seeing off, involving much alcohol! Thank goodness I'm not working today.

[Ellie]

Re: A strange day at work

It sounds as if it was the sort of send off he'd have appreciated.