Thanks SB, your a gent and not for the first time, might have to give you a prefix, GSB, like in 'Gentleman' John Harris.
Obviously it's in the genes, which brings me round to your Uncle Pete, whom I said I would tell a little of my time working with him.
Pete was a bit of an enigma, until more time was spent with him. I worked with him for roughly two and a half years, so got to know him well, and have no compunction in saying it was a pleasure to have known and worked with him.
Anecdotes none, more happenings.
First met Pete when our carrier left and his gang were getting laid off with two or three other gangs, so site foreman asked their carriers if they wanted to work with us and Pete was the only one who offered. That spoke volumes about Pete, at that time I was 37 and my mate 29 and that made him 50, if born in '29, as I believe he was.
Pete never ate at work and always worked through morning break taking his pint mug of tea, no milk & sugar on the job. Lunchbreak sat in cabin for his pint of tea.
Whilst Working on one site he parked his car, the turquois Hillman, on a road with demolished houses awaiting rebuilds. I noticed one day when I arrived, his car door was just off the latch, not like Pete, so closed it and told him. Some bastard had opened the car and probably tried the others there, but nothing to take and no damage, thought he may have been angry over it, but no, he was quite philosophical about the whole event.
First Christmas with Pete, mate and I, who always had the lunch session on Xmas break up day, didn't think Pete would go with us, age difference mainly, but no, to his credit he endured us for a couple hours.
Remember one morning, Pete told us he had to go to a funeral in the afternoon and Joan and himself hadn't time to organise flowers so knowing my mother had a flower stall in the Castle, asked if I could help. I did and they were highly satisfied with the results, Pete paying my mum the following Saturday on his regular early morning trip to the fish market. What I've just told you may sound pretty standard stuff but the measure of the man was that after that he more than not stopped by to say hello to my mum, whilst on his Saturday shopping trips. She told me that not Pete.
I also understand, as a young man16/17 year old he was knocked off the roof of the shops at London Rd junction with Woodhead Rd. Believe he was top of the ladder when the other bloke slipped. shot down the roof, hit Pete, but by good fortune and the assistance of tram cabling and shop hoardings they both survived. Pete said it rearranged the bridge of his nose and that was why it was the shape it was.
I'll apologise to Pete, now, as he can't refute anything I've misinterpreted, and if so it is not my intention, just the passage of time and the ageing process distorting my view.
Thank you again, as said before always open to info on the Blades and appreciative of it.