8TH OCTOBER
Today is the 43rd anniversary of my Grandpa Hibbitt’s passing so I thought I’d post this slide of my grandparents, taken in the 1930’s, together with some memories I have of him.
Charlie & Isey Hibbitt
Grandpa was called Charles but was known as Charlie and my gran was Ivy (maiden name, Dando) but became known as Isey (pronounced Icy) when my dad had difficulty saying her name when he was a young child.
Although I was only nine when Grandpa died, it’s surprising what comes to mind, like when we used to be parked in the car park at Plymstock Broadway in his Hillman Minx, waiting for mum to do the shopping and listening to the police on his radio (tut tut) – he held a listener’s licence, but obviously not for listening to police transmissions.
We had lots of happy times on the boat, a cabin cruiser he used to keep on the Kingsbridge Estuary. I used to like combing Grandpa’s hair, what little he had of it by the time he was in his 60’s! He called his cardigans ‘smoking jackets’ and I always remember he loved eating Wagon Wheels and a rather large oatmeal biscuit covered in chocolate, the name of which I forget.
Grandpa was buried at Drake Memorial Park on the outskirts of Plymstock and I still visit his grave from time to time. So here’s to Grandpa, thanks for the memories.
Grandpa’s grave at Drake Memorial Park photographed 7th October 2015.
Rather poignantly, I caught the sunrays shining on his memorial plaque.
