Well, here we are then. It took a bit longer than I thought! Ninety-four years young is not a bad innings though, is it? It would have been a bit longer if I hadn't ended up with all my old bones creaking and other bits and pieces going on strike.
Anyway, I’m here now and just wanted to say thank you all very much for coming. There would have been lots more people, but I’ve outlived them all!
I started my very long life in Barnsley on 17th May 1928.
My parents' home was in Hoyland Common, a terraced house with an open fire, no bath, and an outside toilet. I had a brother called Ron. We passed our time playing football, knocking down Ginger, whip and top, nipsey, and many more games which were popular in the 1930s. We were never bored.
Later on, we all moved to a semi-detached house in Edward Street, Hoyland. This was so much better as now we had an inside loo and a bath with running hot water. What luxury!
By this time, I was a teenager. On one night out in the town with my mates, we approached a group of girls outside the Futurist cinema. One very pretty blue -eyed girl caught my eye. Her name was Betty, we started dating and very soon I knew she was the girl for me.
Life was so nice, but then tragedy struck. While at work in the foundry, a splash of molten metal hit my face, blinding me in one eye. My girl and I were so upset, but that didn't stop our love for each other.
My Betty became my wife on 25th August 1951 at St. Peter's Church in Hoyland.
After starting our married life in a prefab, we returned to Betty's childhood home in Chapel Street, looking after Betty's ailing mum and her younger sister, Eileen.
In 1953, our first child Marie was born, followed by Carol a year later. Our family was complete.
Now, it's May 1955, and we have moved to our own home in Greenside Lane, Hoyland. I spent hours in the garden pruning our much-loved roses. The garden was full of them. Our faithful old motorbike and sidecar also demanded endless hours of maintenance, which kept me busy. Betty didn't have to suffer the bike for too long, as we upgraded to a primrose yellow Reliant Van. Her smile said it all as she sat beside me.
Times were hard, and money was tight, but what magical times we had with our family, celebrating milestones in our children's lives. Our girls loved our immediate neighbours, Uncle Friend and Aunt Sally, and they would always go round to play with their daughter Una. Friends and family were always popping round to share a pot of Betty's brew with us.
For many years, our holidays were in Blackpool. We loved dancing in the ballroom and walks on the seafront. When the kids arrived, loading our little Reliant up with two adults, two kids, and luggage was a challenge in itself.
In 1971, my place of work at the foundry closed, and I had to seek alternative employment, eventually finding work as a school caretaker at Nook Lane junior school in Stannington, Sheffield.
This entailed moving to Sheffield into a beautiful bungalow. This really was a blessing in disguise, for the first time in my life, I looked forward to going to work, so much better than a smelly dirty hot foundry.
I loved the school kids and especially the sound of the children singing at Christmas time.
The local farmer supplied the school with duck eggs, which we placed in incubators for the kids to tend. The look on their faces when the eggs hatched was priceless. The little ducks used to follow me around the school garden; they thought I was mother hen!
Also, I was quite proud of winning the National Coal Board award three years running for the UK's best kept school boiler house.
But best of all, my Betty worked alongside me as a teaching assistant, cleaner, and dinner lady.
I found a local pub that served a lovely pint of Wards beer and made many new friends with the regulars.
Life got even better as our grown-up girls married Peter and Richard and started their own families, making Betty and me grandparents and later on great-grandparents.
We really enjoyed life, always looking forward to our European holidays. We loved Spain, France, Switzerland, and Germany, but our favourite was the cruise down the Rhine.
Time travelled on, and in 1993 Betty and I retired. We moved to a little bungalow in Dinnington. Betty's sister Eileen and her husband Brian lived just around the corner, an added bonus.
I still missed the school and the rolling hills of Stannington where I used to walk but soon settled in.
We had regular visits from our daughters with their kids, life was good. We also went to their homes at Christmas times and birthdays; it was quite hectic, so much leg pulling and laughter, such fun times.
I had a lovely garden and a greenhouse, always growing plants from seed. The garden was always full and never short of vivid colours. My son-in-laws liked it because I grew plants for their gardens too.
But time rolled on, and the aches and pains started to catch up with us. Our daughters did what they could and looked after us. Betty had a new hip along with many ailments, including Alzheimer's.
After 69 years of marriage, I lost my Betty in April 2020, which broke my heart. I missed her so much.
My health also started to go downhill. My memory started to play tricks on me, my body didn't work as it should, and confusion was always present.
Thank you to all the people who touched my life.
I'm back with My Betty now.
I'm happy.