My biographical bit, Part 7: Backtracking part 2

Suffering from a bad cold today, but here goes...

One of the things people remember from their past the most strongly are the deaths of relatives, or at least the stories associated with them if they were too young at the time. For me, three stand out in the time period we've covered so far (up to going to University).

1963: My paternal grandfather, Peter Orchison, was from Montrose in Scotland. He worked in a pharmacy and liked motorbikes, and died aged 58 from a heart attack. He smoked, which didn't help of course. But at least he still had all his hair! He had four children with my dad's mother, Helen (a nurse at Stracathro), though they never married because she was still married another man and it was difficult for women on their own to divorce in those days. My dad, Albert, was the youngest after Lily and George. They lived in Brechin. Another brother, Jack, died in infancy and I believe I am named after him.

1971: My maternal grandfather, Joseph 'John' Philips, a teacher and former army officer, was from Shropshire but lived most of his life in Leicestershire. He was present at the partition of India in 1947. When he was 15, he escaped from an unhappy childhood with his blind mother, Florence, and his philandering father, Percy; he lied about his age and joined the army, where he also contrived to change his name (from the original Joseph Enoch Philps). He had high blood pressure as he got older and although he ahd tablets for it I doubt he took them. He died of a stroke - also aged 58, also with a full head of hair! (This worries me slightly: I'm 54!)

1979: My maternal great grandmother, Lilian Weeks, who died aged 88 of complications following a fall and a broken hip. I knew her as Nana and, as far as I know, she never did a day's work in her life. She had three daughters and a son (Peggy, Joan, Eileen and Harry). Peggy ran away from home. The interesting thing about my great grandmother, though, was that nobody has ever got past her when they try to do the family tree. She destroyed certain papers before she died, obviously to hide something. We will never know whether it was an affair, illegitimacy, divorce etc that she was ashamed of, but the more you look into it the more it seems her whole life was a lie...

Anyway, must blow my nose and dose myself up...

Jack Orchison, February 23, 2014.