gestella OP t1_iu4ubz7 wrote on October 28, 2022 at 3:43 PM

Reply to comment by tvieno in My Grandpa taking a selfie in the 1960s by gestella

That's really funny you say that, as when he was on holiday in America, a couple in a convertible pulled up beside him shouting "Oh My God Its ROY ORBISON!!"

telstarado t1_iu68d1k wrote on October 28, 2022 at 9:23 PM

"In Dreams" is definitely my favorite of your grandpa's songs!

ploptones t1_iu7hfu8 wrote on October 29, 2022 at 3:30 AM

How did the rest of grandpa’s life go? Can you share any tidbits?

gestella OP t1_iu83ym6 wrote on October 29, 2022 at 8:12 AM

He lived a life full if adventure. He came from the slums in Gillingham, Kent in the UK. Born into a very poor family, he enrolled in the navy cadets at a young age (11ish?) and got a job cleaning the toilets on the ships on the weekends (gross!) to help support his family. His father was an alcoholic who died young, but he had a very good relationship with his mother and after opening up to her about wanting to go to art school (nobody in his family had ever been to university), she supported him on his quest to gaining a full scholarship to one of the leading art schools in the U.K. During his time at art school he met my Grandma, who came from a rather wealthy family (her dad owned various Jaguar car dealerships in the U.K, and also a very successfull timber company in Bedford, U.K) and they got married a year or so later and rented a flat in London overlooking the Thames (for 8 pounds a month, which apparently back then was quite the steal!) After art school, my Grandpa went on to get a job at the BBC where he ended up working for over 40 years as a set designer. He travelled all over the world designing sets for Top of The Pops, Miss USA, Dr Who etc etc etc. The list goes on and on lol.. he lived a very fulfilling life!

I ended up moving in with my grandparents when I was 13 as I was having trouble living with my mum and stepdad (I grew up in Singapore up until that point), so he was a real father figure to me. He died 7 years ago yesterday, although it feels like just a few years ago ☹️. My Grandma is still alive and I am incredibly close to her still, which is nice.

Thank you kind stranger for asking me about his life... writing about it has been really cathartic for me and brought back so many memories which I had forgotten, so thank you for that! Xx

ploptones t1_iu9la3v wrote on October 29, 2022 at 4:58 PM

And thank you for sharing this wonderful and heartfelt story. I was very close to my dad and he passed 14 years ago. My own experience is that I still miss him very much, but the painful ache of him not physically being with me has ebbed away as the years have gone by. It has been replaced with the lovely “brain vignettes” I have of the simple daily things he did as a dad that showed he loved me. And more come daily. Yesterday I pulled out starch, which I have not used in decades. When I smelled it, it took me back to when my mom would let me iron the front hankies he used to wear in his suit front pocket. I was so proud of them, and when he wore them. So I promise- that gaping hole you feel in your heart will continue to fill in with the warmth of his memories.