Mister Mister

Last Tuesday we attended the funeral of an old family friend - Don Anderson. We'd know Don for about 29 years - he was the partner of our best friend's mother, Veronica. I've know Guido, Veronica's son, since I was 14 (so that's a LONG time!). We spent many Christmas holidays with his family - often going to their house on Boxing day and nearly always seeing them over the holiday period at some time.

Last Christmas Don and Floss (Veronica is known to some as 'Floss') spent Christmas day with us along with Guido, his wife and children. I'm glad now we had that time together, as Don departed rather suddenly. He was 73, but had been hale and hearty up until a short while ago when he was diagnosed with a cancer that took him rapidly.

His funeral was in New Southgate and the small chapel was very full - it was standing room only at the back. There were family (the children and family of his first wife), his friends from the RAF, fellow steam train enthusiasts and many others who knew him.

The service was very touching. And, as always at these events, we learned more about Don now that he was dead from the eulogies and conversation than we had known of him when he was alive.

But why have I called this post 'Mister Mister'? Because Don and Veronica spent a lot of time in Spain, and it always amused the Spanish to hear him called Don (which means Mr in Spanish), so he was dubbed Don Don - meaning Mister Mister.

He was not a man I knew well, but he is a man I have fond memories of. I am gald I knew him.