Early this morning, infact I woke up with Hubby Dear announcing the news to anyone who cared to hear that an old family retainer passed away. L was a man all of 75 + who had spent the better part of his life in service to the family. He had left his home at the age of 14 and since then worked his way up as a house boy to driver to baby sitter and finally just a general dogsbody. He never married and made his home with the family. Having brought up two generations he was privy to many family secrets.

Over the years he developed a passion for alcohol, something which we found out quite by accident when he came slurring at our door one evening. No one believed that he was alcoholic till they found some whiskey missing from the cupboard. But he was a good soul who didn’t mind being woken up at midnight to drive someone to the airport or to accompany anyone to a party. Over the years his teeth fell out thanks to his tobacco chewing and over the last year he lost a great deal of weight. In the last month he discovered that he had a cancerous bladder and finally breathed his last last night.

May his soul rest in peace.