Goodbye Gordon

Our lovely neighbour, Mr Thompson, died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital last night. He was a raconteur and a true gent, the most liberal minded octogenarian that I knew. A fixture on the street since 1957 who turned down all invitations to Christmas dinner from all neighbours for fear of offending the others. He loved seeing our chickens and our cat, and always had a story to tell.

He gave me this camera, once owned by his mother. Used to tear to North Berwick on a motorbike and owned a Daimler that wound up in a museum. He shared birthday presents with Olivia de Haviland. One of the nicest men I knew, a throwback to his dapper polite navy days.

Rest in peace Gordon, we'll miss you.