Grandad.

Here  is my Grandad.
I never met him.
He died  before I was born.
I did my family tree a number of years ago
and through that I managed to obtain the photograph above.
I have also managed to collect some facts about him.
My Father only ever said that he was in the Navy, that was the only clue I had.
Here is what I found out about him.
He was a fouyboatman.
He was the best writer so he kept all the books, records etc.
He could speak 5 languages, this helped him deal with ship's Captains from many countries.
When he was drunk he would speak German.
On Empire Day when the streets were decked in Union Jacks, he would put up the Russian Flag.
Years later I would be the child asking for a Scotland football kit and not an England one, just felt the need somewhere inside to be different; maybe he had that need.
I later caused a mini uproar asking for and getting a Celtic shirt what with me going to a Protestant School
He was a fighter and would go looking for trouble down at the  the tunnels at the Bottom of Church Street that gave access to Middleton back then. The tunnels  no longer  survive as they were filled in when the Marina was developed.
I'm told his nickname was King of the Tunnels.
He would stop anyone he didn't like the look of and ask what they were doing coming to Middleton.
He did joined the Navy in WW1 ... the day his Army call up papers came.
He spent plenty of time in the cells whilst in the Navy.
He died of Cancer the year before I was born.
When asked how he was, he answered he was throwing up ... but further than anyone else... so still winning in a bad situation
I wish I had met him.
I may have blogged some of this before,
apologies for that.

BEACH BUOY.