Two Mountains and a Funeral

Just ten days shy of his 96th birthday, my Dad passed away this week, so Father's Day will be a little different today.

Aside from the football pools and a small flutter on the Grand National every year, he wasn't a betting man, though he does get a mention in the "About Me" section of this blog:

The first system I came up with was a simple one - back the favourite and double up after a loss until a winner. Simple enough in theory, and I told my Dad about it. Not being a betting man himself, he ran it by some of his colleagues, and came home to tell me that it wouldn’t work because a long losing run would mean that the bank would be empty. Then there was always the possibility that the winner would be returned at odds-on, meaning that the total returns would not match the outlay. Not what a ten year old wants to hear!

My interest in betting at that tender age may well have been triggered by Foinavon's win at 100-1 in the Grand National that year, a race I vividly remember watching with him in 1967. 

My Dad was more of a Rugby man, playing for the Old Purleians, now Purley John Fisher, until the late 1950s, and watching home matches in person until a few years ago, but he did take me to two matches at Selhurst Park. 

One was a 0:0 draw versus West Ham for my 13th birthday in 1970 and the other was an Anglo-Italian Cup game against Cagliari the following May which Palace won 1:0. Cagliari have been my Italian club ever since, and they will be back in Serie A next season.  

I'll not be blogging for a while with more important matters to attend to. Along with the funeral, I have another grandchild arriving next week - the circle of life, and my first grandson too - and a much anticipated trip to the Lake District the week of July 10th to climb Scafell Pike and Helvellyn, weather permitting.

Happy Father's Day if you are lucky enough to have or be one, and I shall return in a month or so. Stay safe.