Learned a good lesson today

[mk1super]

Shouldnt judge a book by...Its cover!

 

Learned that today

 

Was asked to do a bit of gardening, neighbour a few doors down asked me to do the grass an a bit of weeding on his old dads garden. So i pop round and get cracking, was hot up here today and in no time i was sweating like i'd run a Marathon, but got everything done, so the old boy shuffles out with his two walking sticks out and asks me if i'd like a cold beer i thought yeah not half! he looked very frail and i thought yeah i can see why the graden was a state, so pop indoors and sit down, he startes telling me he aint as able and doesnt get out much these days not as fit etc and misses his wife who died a few years back, i thought like many oh hear goes boring oldie etc..... Then i spot war photos up on the wall and a framed Beret thats sand coloured I ask whos that in the pics he replies "me", now im not that daft i know the winged dagger and sand beret mean SAS so i say that yours to and he winks and goes "yip and Fookin hard earned too!" Then goes on to tell me all where he served in World war 2.

 

Needless to say i found him very intresting to talk to and not the old fart i first thought, few more beers and a natter to one cool old fella was payment enough

 

Morale of story give the older generation a break we owe them so much!

[Vista]

Morale of story give the older generation a break we owe them so much!

 

Hear hear

[Cookie]

Morale of story give the older generation a break we owe them so much!

 

Hear hear

 

 

Thirded, I can't imagine what life must of been like for some of the old folk when they were young, I know some of them are grumpy pain in the arses, but simple fact is they DID fight in the war for this country, and if they did'nt our lives would be a hell of a lot different now

 

A bit of respect costs nothing

[X-pack-Glyn]

I have all the time in the world for old people, some of the old buggers at the lake i fish at make me laugh...like the old bugger that saw my missus walk past in her mini skirt and tank top bringing me up a takeaway the other week, she walked past his swim and he nearly choked on his coffee, later on in the evening he came over and said to me "if she fell in she wouldnt drown"

 

 

theres another old boy at the lake who fishes there sold for a whole week at a time, hes 77

 

but seriously, so long as the old bugers arent driving in front of me at 30 in a 60 i got all the time for em.

[V8ian]

Its not going to be long before all the lod boys who were in WW2 will be gone and a sizeable part of recent history will be gone, Its seems that when I was a yoof everybodys granddad had been in the WW1 and old boys with limbs missing were all over the place selling things on the corner or being wheeled around by the sally army, and its with sad regret, I admit, I never got to talk with them about their exploits, and its certain I never will now, Its nearly 70 years ago since WW2 started and the youngest surviviors will now be in their late 70s or early 80s, do yourself a favour, if you get a chance, ask an old person what they did in the war, its often a facinating story, ------------------THEY WONT BE HERE FOR MUCH LONGER------------------- it can be a very humbling experiance when the bloke you are talking to may be the only survivor of a of a battle you have seen the film of and he was he was there, I remember recently, sitting on the front in Hastings there was an old boy in a wheelchair, wearing the old Cherryberet, little parachute badge on his lapel, looking out to sea, obviously there for a reason, it was Pegasus day, The day the paras landed on and around the three bridges to stop the influx of german reinforcements to D day beaches, and stop them blowing the bridges, it was the first time in over 60 years he had not been back to the bridge on Pegasus day, because of his failing help, I was nearly in tears listening to him as he remembered the assault on the bridge, I would be surprised I the old fella is still here today looking how ill and frail he was,

As im thinking about this, one of my mates was in the falklands with the Marine detachment when the Argies invaded, I think the will be 55 this year, so we are all getting older, Have a chat to the old ones, so often very intresting, it could be your grandad after all,

NUF PREACHIN

[sab6024]

In my job you get the "oldies" talking to you all the time about what they got up to in their younger days and they could teach us lot a thing or two I love talking to them and they make my job so much easier to do. Only the other day one was showing me photos of when he was stationed in Africa, the planes, the makeshift tents and the snow so much snow, they had to dig themselves whenever they needed to take a lorry out In some cases they would have to dig for miles

 

But wierdly the same guy was asking me about modern music yesterday so I lent him an Album I had in the car....Dave Pearce's Trance Anthems 2008 The guy loves it and wants me to take a copy off for him Now I didn't expect that from an "oldie"

[Retromotorsport]

I've had a quick look for a story that was online about a guy leaving his missus in the anderson shelter while he was at work . its was a coal works or gaswork in London .. brillient story to read, but i cant find it.. did find this though

http://www.wartimememories.co.uk/map.html

 

havnt got time now to read through..but i will

[Mr Sam]

 

Morale of story give the older generation a break we owe them so much!

 

well said, i was working for an equally frail 2 walking sticks no wife old man today putting a fence up for him

 

usually see him on a mobility scooter or 2 sticks......well there he was today mowing his lawn

 

 

 

i know a chap over in wales ex SAS, theyve got some stories to tell

[FredTransit]

Fair play to em, the older generation did their bit. What I am wondering is what will happen to the chavs of today, they will have sod all to be proud of. Come to think of it, some of them have very little respect for anybody, so we are all fooked when we get old!

[atomic punk]

I loved listening to my grandad's stories, he was a mechanic out in Africa and from what he has told me, bodges are nothing new - eg using eggs to temporarily seal radiators, straling leather belts to make into fanbelts etc.

 

My other grandad, and both nans, point blank refused to talk abuot their war years so they must have seen some pretty horrific things that you wouldn't wish on anybody.

[Jimbob-Squarepants ©]

Its not going to be long before all the lod boys who were in WW2 will be gone and a sizeable part of recent history will be gone, Its seems that when I was a yoof everybodys granddad had been in the WW1 and old boys with limbs missing were all over the place selling things on the corner or being wheeled around by the sally army, and its with sad regret, I admit, I never got to talk with them about their exploits, and its certain I never will now, Its nearly 70 years ago since WW2 started and the youngest surviviors will now be in their late 70s or early 80s, do yourself a favour, if you get a chance, ask an old person what they did in the war, its often a facinating story, ------------------THEY WONT BE HERE FOR MUCH LONGER------------------- it can be a very humbling experiance when the bloke you are talking to may be the only survivor of a of a battle you have seen the film of and he was he was there, I remember recently, sitting on the front in Hastings there was an old boy in a wheelchair, wearing the old Cherryberet, little parachute badge on his lapel, looking out to sea, obviously there for a reason, it was Pegasus day, The day the paras landed on and around the three bridges to stop the influx of german reinforcements to D day beaches, and stop them blowing the bridges, it was the first time in over 60 years he had not been back to the bridge on Pegasus day, because of his failing help, I was nearly in tears listening to him as he remembered the assault on the bridge, I would be surprised I the old fella is still here today looking how ill and frail he was,

As im thinking about this, one of my mates was in the falklands with the Marine detachment when the Argies invaded, I think the will be 55 this year, so we are all getting older, Have a chat to the old ones, so often very intresting, it could be your grandad after all,

NUF PREACHIN

 

Well said

 

BTW, I love old people and I will bend over backwards to help them

[BIG G]

my grandad was in the royal engineers and was stood in the town square in italy when the italians Hung musolini and they then cut his wifes tits off before hanging her.... one of his tamer stories

[emu]

We had a customer at the garage where I used to work who was evacuated from Dunkirk. I dont remember how the conversation turned to talking about it, but needless to say, the 5 minute roadtest turned into over an hour. Quietest old man youve ever met, but so interesting to listen to

 

All I can say is that I hope none of us have to face the experiences that so many people in our society have.

[aled]

An old guy I have known for years died a couple of years ago. He played snooker to a great standard till the age of 80 and had beaten Alex Higgins and Ray Reardon, and had photos and Trophies to show.

 

The funny part was that he had lost one eye in the war and walked with a limp. He was fascinating to listen to about his escapades in the War, some which were funny and some which were so very sad

 

He did make me laugh though.....especially when kids asked why he was blind in one eye.....

 

......he told them (and me when I first met him) that he was shot in the foot and the bullet went up his leg, then through his hip, then up his spine, up his neck and popped out of his eye

 

Kids believed it......but he never did reveal the true story....

 

I never had the opportunity to say good-bye because I went on holiday for a fortnight and when I came back he was dead and buried

 

Don't take old people for granted as they will not be here for too long

 

Respect to them all

[Mk2Jo]

On of my Grandad's was a POW in Germany for a year but he never spoke about it ever to my nan, my mum (who was only 4 at the time) or anyone and the experience he had went with him sadly to his grave when he died in the early '80s But my mum now has the telegram that my nan got one Christmas telling her that my grandad had been captured and was a pow - a piece of history

 

My other grandad was a desert rat and he was killed out in Tunisia ... he is buried out there and my dad (his son) and his sisters and my nan all went out there in the '80s to see his grave - shortly after arriving back home, my nan died ... it was almost as if she was waiting to say goodbye to him

 

Well done Alex on giving the senior citizen the time of day - maybe it is something you can do for him again And he probably enjoyed the company

 

Once that generation have gone .... all the knowledge and experiences they had goes with them and is lost

[mk1super]

Yeah i'll deffo be keepin an eye out for him, he is a top bloke