In the old photo Denise posted, you will see me standing next to Martin with my sisters, Pat and Ann. My dads the one with the fag!

Martin, aka Bert, was born after my mother, Martin’s sister Gladys had us, therefore the uncle title.  
More than that though,  Bert was my childhood playmate.

When we were young, we’d play locally in Repton on Dick Smiths farm, as it was then known.  Dick had a shed in the middle of one of his fields which we decided we’d have as our den!  Bert and I fixed it up like the front room of what we thought was a good place to spend our time. We made lots ofstuff out of rubbish we found on the farm and the surrounds.  I believe those skills came in useful in later life, especially for Bert.

What we got up to in that shed is a matter between Bert and me, suffice to say i had my first anatomy lesson in that shed!

Later, much later after he had married Denise, we met again in the Exeter after he’d run The Furnace boxing day run i believe.  It was great to see him again after many years and we spent many a great evening after that at the Bell.  So much so he and Ken managed the impossible.....getting me to run!!  I’ll never forgive him for that or for leaving us all too soon, he is missed by all who knew him.