Although he was Donington born and bred (and anyone who went to school in Dono or Sheppy will know of the rivalry between the two sets of lads!) and he used to call my town "Sheepshed" to wind me up - however he and my Grandma were regular visitors back in the day and how I used to look forward to them coming over.

 

It is a bitter-sweet irony I suppose that the last time I ever saw him alive was in Shepshed. We had been out for a family meal and I shook his hand in the Market Place before watching him stroll back to my Uncle's car to take him home.

 

Sadly he passed-away in his sleep from a heart-attack and at 8am my Aunt rang to break the terrible news.

 

He was a great bloke, an avid reader (don't know what he would have made of the internet though!), I miss him so much and in the last fifteen years not a day has passed by when I don't think about him at some point.

 

I love telling his four great-Grandson's all about him as they were not as lucky as I was to have had him in my life.

 

I never can or will forget him.

 

Cheers "Dake"!

 

I would also like dedicate this page to the wonderful people of Shepshed. I was proud to be a Shepshedian for ten-years of my life.