Our fond memories of you Grandad, from your grandchildren ❤️


Jodie-
My memories of grandad are- 
Getting us to look for his sunglasses in the car for a good 5 minutes and then us all realising that they were on top of his head the whole time. Still makes me smile. 


Jazz music in the car.
Playing the piano when he came over to pick us up. 


Loving the grandchildren putting on a show.


The adventures:
• A simple truck ride around the farm to check on things. When going through the wooded section down to Bevendean, we had to move from the trailer of the truck to the front as there were tigers and monkeys in the 'jungle'. In reality it was because we were about to go on to a public road, but I believed there were jungle animals for many years. 
• A trip to grandma and grandad Balmer - the songs we sang on the way and always 'we're going up the hill' on the lane up to Balmer farm. Followed by the excitement of sitting in the open back of the truck and having to stop to get back in the front before going on the A27.
• Lunches out to wimpy and the time that Maria asked the waitress for a coke to the astonishment of James and me when it was usually strictly tap water only.
• Getting James out of the passenger seat at the Dartford crossing to throw in the money without any concern for holding up other moterists.
• Picking up a new milk van only to get a puncture on the way home, but that didn't matter to me as we got fish and chips while we were waiting. I still remember the excitement that I felt jumping out of the van back at the farm telling mum that I had had fish and chips. 
• Grandad the driving instructor. My first lesson was in an old tractor. I still remember grandad driving us round to the field to the side of the bungalow with his arm around me to stop me from falling out of the door. Afterwards he asked Janet to make me a certificate for the completion of my first ever driving lesson. The lessons continued including practicing hill starts and the stories of when he taught in the army and he would use the men's packets of cigarettes to ensure that they didn't roll back. He did suggest that I brought along my favourite video to create a similar situation, but I was never brave enough to that. The driving lessons still continued years later after I passed my test and then had regular calls for 'granddad's taxi'. Feedback at the end of the drive "good driving, but your thumbs weren't straight on the steering wheel".


Being able to tell when grandad was off to a lodge meeting by the steam and soap smell coming out of the bathroom.


Bravely eating a sweet and sour chicken and noodles dinner that Rebecca and I had cooked one evening when staying over. He ate every mouthful on his plate even though the noodles were still crunchy. 


 Calling Rebecca and me "hollow legs" 


Being in trouble if we did anything that might upset grandma.


Whenever we stayed over asking us before we went to bed what time we would be up in the morning. Whatever time we said he would always say that was having a lie in and that he would be much earlier.


There often being some sort of task to help with. Usually counting money.


Becca-
I remember the driving lessons and going for Friday lunch sometimes. The bumpy truck rides were obviously a favourite but I hadn’t remembered the jungle bit! He was always proudly asking after what ever we were up to in life after we’d long stopped playing at the farm and he printed out all my blogs from travelling and grilled me about it all when I got home. The Christmas traditions and playing at the farm each summer were some of my fondest childhood memories, we were so lucky to have each other and them as grandparents- I don’t think I could do what they did for us!   Xx


Maria- 
I have fond memories of the bumpy truck rides, grandad taking us through the ‘jungle’ and to beware of the lions & tigers! 
Grandad taking us to little chef as a Friday treat sometimes, ( and to give grandma a well earned break from cooking for us all). 


And how grandad seem to love and enjoy our Boxing Day shows we used to put on, always remember him sitting in his chair in the lounge with a big smile on his face during our performances, and he always gave us the biggest applause once we’d finished. 


Also I’m sure I remember Jodie playing an April fools joke not sure if it was on grandma or granddad but you said there was a leak in the bathroom upstairs, which made them panic but you’d put a leek in the bathroom, I’m sure I remember grandad finding that hilarious! 


In later years whenever I saw grandad he always asked how work was going, he always seemed genuinely interested, I believe he was proud of all his grandchildren and what we have all achieved. 


Some wonderful childhood memories that we are all lucky to be able to share xx


Mel- 


They are all lovely memories, I loved the bumpy truck rides and remember the driving lesson hill start cigarette packet behind the back wheel. I remember we could be anywhere in the farm house and Grandad would clap and then rub his hands together, then say “right, I need all grandchildren outside now” without question we would all stop what we were doing and get our shoes on. He had an air of authority about him. We knew it would be something exciting, like being a human fence when they were moving the cows and he didn’t want them going into Grandma’s garden. He would say “don’t worry, the cows are more scared of you than you are of them” 


I remember helping to do the wages. Grandad set up ‘stations’ in his office and Jodie, Becca, Maria and I had different jobs. I remember Grandad took out a £20 note between stations to check to see if we would notice. 
I remember Grandad’s Jag, the speed camera detector and a tub of digestives for his diabetes. I remember the cream leather seats we would slide on because Grandad drove a little too fast. Always windows shut and the air con on. 
In the afternoons after lunch it would be Grandads TV time, he would sit in the lounge, in his armchair, if the sun was out, curtains would be shut and more often than not he would fall asleep. 
Later years the first thing he would ask me when I saw him was “so tell me, how’s the Police?” Even when I worked in the Police library. I knew he was proud.


B-
The one thing I always remember is grandad always calling me Titch xx


Mark- 
Sunbless bakery up the road. Remember Grandad grabbed me to help him, take Jim's truck or one of the other milk floats up to the bakery to get bread. Awww the smell of fresh baked bread. A very old memory was going to cash n carry to pick up the Happy Shopper' stuff.


James-
here are a few of my memories 
- He would often ask for 'little helpers' to do something. Also grandad would always say he was never wrong just miss understood
- going to see grandma and grandad Balmer who would always give us a kitkat. Those trips just remind me of the songs we would sing and the glasses searching but also all of us having a desperate need to throw his apple core he had eaten on the way there out of the window at the bottom of Balmer Lane. Grandad was good at making the smallest or simplest of things fun
- the random whimpy visits were good. The shock Jode and I got when Maria ordered a coke was of disbelief. It was very much brace yourself for strict grandad to come out but  nothing happened. So thank you Maria you set a president for us to order drinks! 
- sleep overs at the farm house were grandma would have to repeatedly tell the girls and boys room to be quite and go to sleep and the threat of I'm telling grandad was sometimes not listened to. Hearing grandads lounge door open and the stomps up the stairs followed by a good telling off kept us silent for the rest of the night 
-countless times of going in a car, truck, van to deliver or pick up something with grandad. Playing the number plate game, I spy and various other games we would play on the journeys. Every now and then he would treat us on the way back. One of those times I got a very good life lesson from grandad. I think it was Mark and I grandad gave us some change to get sweets I remember him saying 'I want change' so we got our sweets and gave back some change. But we didn't count the change, the shop owner who was a customer of the farm short changed us. In true grandad style bulldozed his was in there to get the pennies that were missing. 
- I wasn't there but remember dad said grandad was on the phone to the bank manager in his office upstairs, he liked to lean back in his chair feet pushing against the desk. While on the phone he pushed with his feet not knowing he was in full recline already and launched himself backwards onto the floor to then find and pick the phone up to continue his conversation with the bank manager on the floor


You will be so missed by all of us grandad, but these memories will stay with us forever ❤️