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November 2021 November 2021

time. The music of those far off days came flooding back as I took my nostalgic OBITUARIES
journey “Let it be, let it be....”
Smethwick Swimming Centre, Thimblemill Road, Smethwick, West Midlands texting Dad asking him what to do next!!
B67 5QT, Tel: 0300 0120121 In 2002 Mum and Dad happily welcomed Hannah into our family
and I know our 2006 wedding in Newquay was a proud moment of his, but he

was definitely at his happiest when he was with the Grandchildren, and with
Footnote our 4, Hayden, Cerys, Louie and Tamsin we certainly made sure we kept him
busy on that front. I feel incredibly lucky that we’ve spent our whole time with
When I visited the pool in 2016 and wrote this piece it was very much under threat Mum and Dad just a minute down the road and always on hand for a spot of
of closure as a sports facility. I am delighted to report that it is still functioning as a babysitting, bike fixing or being chief cake testers when the kids made
pool and leisure facility. Let’s hope that it continues to do so for many years into something!
the future!
Despite somewhat disagreeing with the practice of sending cards, Dad loved
Bob Holman Christmas and each year we were lucky enough to celebrate a separate
Christmas day a couple of days after the main event, at their house, where
he would relish in the chance to host and cook a big dinner for all of us, and
enjoy watching the grandkids (and bigger kids) open another round of
presents, most of which were things he’d chosen for them because he
wanted a chance to play it with them!
Mum and Dad celebrated 41 years of marriage this year, and I know that as
hard as it’s going to be for Mum without him, they have so many happy
memories from their holidays, shared love of Detective Shows and the regular
BBQs and Christmas Eve parties that he loved to host, especially with a glass
of red in his hand.
Unfortunately in 2014 following some consultations at Kings College Hospital in
London, Dad was told for the third time in his life that he had Cancer. This
time in the form of a Neuroendocrine Tumour. Despite this, I never once
heard him moan about it, and his approach to receiving whatever treatment
the Doctors felt necessary without question or complaint, always left me in
awe of his courage and the level of positivity that he faced up to his
problems with.
Having retired from teaching in 2016, and following another health set-back,
Dad decided that he didn’t enjoy not working as much as he thought he
would, so spent a year or so driving a delivery van,
delivering meat for one of his old students, James,
enjoying the fresh air and the challenge of making
sure he got back to the farm without leaving
something in the back of his van!

Less work also gave him an opportunity to become
an even bigger armchair sports fan, regularly
watching his beloved Southampton Football Club
and Somerset Cricket Club when he could, although

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