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My Old Man ; RIP Dad

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  Michael Dove 19th October 1941 - 13th September 2021 2020 after the 1st lockdown release The Carpenters Arms It has taken me a long while to write this tribute to my Dad. I knew this man for the best part of 50 years (obviously I have no memories in my early years) and he deserves a good remembrance so I have taken my time over it. A year ago today, I said goodbye to Dad. It was the early hours of the morning of 13 th September 2021. He had already passed by the time I had made the 2 and a half hour drive from my home to Lincoln County Hospital after the nurse rang me to say he was dying. I held his still warm hand, and kissed his still warm forehead, and cried before I packed up his personal items and left the hospital. The last time he was at home in Lincoln was Sunday 25 th July. He was down at his local, The Carpenters Arms for a lunchtime drink and on leaving, he had a fall. An ambulance was called and he was taken to Lincoln County Hospital, which was his “home” for the n
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Long Promised Road

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Seen at The Picture House , Crouch End 26th January 2022 Having been to just about all of the Brian Wilson UK concerts since the SMiLE premiere in February 2004, there was no way I was going to miss out on seeing this new documentary on the Big Screen. Thus is not your typical documentary which splices loads of historical film footage together with a narrative overdubbed..... The film is personal. It is centred around Brian being interviewed by Rolling Stone editor Jason Fine accompanied with film from when the Beach Boys first started out in the early 60's through to footage from the present day concerts. A lot of the footage is from other documentaries that I have seen before, but there are others that were new to me, such as the girl in Oklahoma interviewing the band. Fine has known Wilson as a friend for many years (since 1995) and appreciates the battle Brian has with mental health and the fact he is very uncomfortable with straight, direct interviews.  Fine interviews Brian w
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HAPPY HEAVENLY 80TH

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  Today would have been Dad's 80th birthday, born this day 19th October 1941 in Chesterfield. Wasn't he a cutie as a boy? Had he lived and been well, the day would have been spent with him opening an amusing Funky Pigeon card which would have contained a £20 note for beer. The beer money would have been saved for another day, as I would have taken him to his local pub, The Carpenter's Arms and bought him a few pints to celebrate this milestone. There would not have been any formal celebrations, no get together or party. Life, as in death, Dad never wanted any ceremony. But I am sure that he would have mentioned his milestone birthday to the regulars in the Carps and he would have accepted their "Happy Birthday" with a secret delight at the fuss, while playing it all down and saying "it's just another bloody birthday"!!! 2020 - in the pub After the pub, he would have skyped with my sister so she could wish him a happy birthday. We did that last ye
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Dad Delivery

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Today was a bit surreal. At 3.35pm a private ambulance pulled up outside. It was all part of the cremation service for Dad, to have his ashes delivered to me. All we needed was a bow and a bit of ribbon and it would have been like a birthday present, the way he was packaged up!!! I must admit it felt a bit weird with the package sitting in the middle of my sitting room floor. Weighs a tonne as well - I didn't expect him to be that heavy. Apart from treasured memories, all that is left of a great man.
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DEAR DAD,

I know I didn't, but I feel I let you down. If only I had headed up when I got the call on that Sunday evening. But when I said I would come up the next day and visit on Tuesday the Nurse did not press any urgency. And the Doctor and MacMillan nurse had said nothing was imminent.  If only I had started my drive up to Lincoln later that evening as I had thought about doing, after all, it was a bit unusual for the hospital to call me. If only.... If only I had headed up straight away, I would have been there, by your side when you finally got too tired and slipped away. If only I had headed up straight away, you would not have been alone. That date, 13th September 2021 forever ingrained in my mind, as is 2nd December 2011 when we lost Mum. If only the stupid GP had not refused to see you earlier in the year when you were really having problems swallowing...... "oh, we don't do throat examinations... because of Covid...." 7 weeks in hospital is a long time and as each we
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