Being local "next of kin" to our next door neighbour Jim, I was called at 5:45am on Tuesday morning and asked if I could get along to the hospital as Jim had taken a turn for the worse.
I was hoping that it was another false alarm as I had also been called out on Saturday with much the same message. We hung around then until his family from Manchester arrived and left them all around his bed fearing the worse.
The old boy come to and after exchanging pleasantries, a few jokey words about his football team Manchester City, and a good bit of time, he told the family to bugger off back home as he was tired!
They were happy to see his rapid recovery, so on the second similar call on Tuesday didn't break the speed limits to get over.
When I arrived at Lincoln Hospital however, I was informed that Jim had passed away at 6am.
I couldn't have got there with wings.
He died peacefully with a nice young nurse in attendance though.
I now have the job of organising his funeral and acting as joint executor with his solicitor, as he specified in his Will.
He wanted his family, whom he left in Manchester some 17 years ago, following a messy divorce, to not be involved.
Rest in peace Jim 2.11.1932 - 2.9.2013
Last few days
I was starting to suffer the early waking syndrome that I go through whenever I have an active project in hand.
It used to happen when I was editing Barbel Fisher, I would wake up after only a few hours sleep thinking about the things I needed to do. I just couldn't go back to sleep, so had to get up and do what needed to be done and then return to bed.
It was happening again with Jim's passing, and so the two days I had booked for Pauline and myself at The Gunton Arms was welcome respite
.
We set of on Wednesday late morning with my mind pretty much settled after trying to book an appointment to register Jim's death, which I achieved for this coming Tuesday, bloody Government cuts mean that half of our registrars have been laid off, slowing things down somewhat.
What a cracking couple days we've had though, the pub with rooms and restaurant were as welcoming as they were last March, when we had a few days stay for my birthday.
This time instead of snow, we had heatwave temperatures in the 30's which turned into monsoon like conditions for about an hour last night.
The Gunton Arms
This place is from our viewpoint highly recommended, our second visit was a good as our first, and makes it our firm favourite.
It does get very busy though, so not the spot for a quiet evening romantic dinner for two, unless like us you enjoy the company of folk having a very good time.
The food on offer is excellent, especially so after having a relaxing afternoon in the beer garden testing Woodforde's Wherry and varying Adnams ales.
A word of warning, there is a large open fire in the main dining room where the chef cooks the ribs of beef, venison sausages and sirloin steak to order. With high temperatures outside, make sure you don't get a table in front of it.
Not too bad in Winter though!
We dropped of to see my Cousin Helen and her partner Hywell at his recently deceased parents house in Swaffam, we chatted over family things and then to lunch at The George in the town before making our journey home.
Jim's stuff can start again on Monday, and hopefully all the important parts, like setting the date of his funeral and clearing out his cupboards of food and general rubbish, will be done and dusted before our Russian cruise.
Fishing
I can't see myself fishing until mid October, hopefully the rivers will be in fine trim by then.
Should have been at Blenheim Palace today, and was due to have a trip to the Ribble on Wednesday to Saturday with a former Barbel Society Secretary, both cancelled for obvious reasons.
In case we forget
This Sunday 8th September is the annual commemorative service in our village for the 101 squadron formerly based at what was RAF Ludford Magna.
The reunion is held every year in the first full weekend in September, with a fly past over the village of an Avro Lancaster from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.
There is usually a good attendance from family and friends of those who served in the squadron from June 1943 until the end of the war.
We shall be there
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