A SHORT TRIBUTE

UNCLE ROBERT

Bit of a strange post this one and although it's not about amateur radio, it also is about amateur radio. And that's because a lot of what I am today, is (in part) related to what my Uncle Robert did.

When I was a baby, my Dad died from stomach cancer. Back in the 1950's he and his brother left Portadown, Northern Ireland and set off for a new life in nearby England. Bolton to be specific. I've no idea why they chose Bolton, but knowing that their family of 13 were living in a tiny 2-up, 2-down, I can see why they wanted to leave their Irish home and seek new opportunities elsewhere.

I guess that after my father's death, my Uncle Robert felt it was his duty to step forward and donate some of his time to me and most weekends I would walk over to his house half a mile away. 

 

Everyone tells me that my father was a very friendly, outgoing, warm and sociable person, but I don't remember Uncle Robert being like that. To me, he was a little gruff and unsociable. He had a very strong Irish accent which made it very difficult for a young boy to understand and my Aunty Gertie used to shout at him and tell him to speak more slowly. He never wasted words - why use ten words when a hand gesture would do?

Despite his seemingly sharp character, he was in fact a very loving man and although he had no money to speak of, he always made sure that he'd got enough to put petrol in his old Ford Popular to take me for an exciting drive to Southport or Blackpool. He would save up pennies and halfpennies in a bag and then give it to me when I reached the fairground or pleasure beach.

 

It was all like being in heaven, because when I got back home, life was very different, filled with drunken violence and aggression thanks to my wife-beating step-father. If I could have lived with my Uncle Robert, I would have moved in a heartbeat.

More than a provider of rideouts and bags of pennies, my Uncle Robert was also like a teacher of all things exciting. He was a railway engineer and had a passion for anything to do with trains, planes and automobiles. He was keen on learning about mechanics, electronics, radio and TV. Even though he knew it was going way over my head (due to a lack of understanding and a lack of translation), he insisted on showing me how he was going to repair the distributor on his car and maybe adjust the valves. 

As a young boy I had a great interest in radios and reveled in listening to those distant stations fading in and out of earshot with their strange language and odd music. Back then you could listen to boxing matches on the radio! 😲

He collected model cars and model motorcycles and taught me how to build and paint them. Motorbikes were another passion of his and although he never took me for a ride, he would always involve me in the servicing and maintenance of it.

I remember he'd save me his magazines and when I was ready to go home he'd give me a carrier bag with various mags inside. Little did I know how all these things would impact and guide me later. 

 

Sadly, as I got older, I visited less and less. I discovered the value of girls and pretty soon I was married and having kids myself. Occasionally, I would pop over to see him, to maybe show off my new motorbike (which he thought was just one of those new-fangled rubbish Japanese things). He tried to get me interested in his model railway layout that he'd built in the spare room but I was having none of it and I rode off down the street in a plume of 2-stroke smoke.

And before I knew it, he was gone.

Shame on me!!  I always regret being that selfish teenager after he spent so much time providing safe and happy memories for me. He taught me to become curious and he planted countless seeds of interest that would grow into enjoyable hobbies for me later in life.

His influence had led to me serving my time as a car mechanic. I had a passion for cars and motorbikes. I became interested in electronics and used to love making little projects each month from Practical Wireless magazine. I became an avid ShortWave Listener and later an Amateur Radio enthusiast.

I owe a lot to Uncle Robert and although I was the typical selfish teenager, I do remember him and recognise my debt to him. He was a fabulous Uncle - the best! 💖