We had known Gerald for several years before we opened MITCHELL Car Boot Sales so I decided that he would be on our team either collecting the admission money or parking cars or both. Gerald was a ‘miserable old sod at times but a bloody good and honest worker’ and he had a brilliant sense of humour, my type of person! Nearing 70 years old he was as strong as an ox lifting the barriers two at a time where I could only carry the one, I used to say to him there is no rush one at a time will do Gerald. I caught him carrying 6 heavy bollards and he knew the rules to carry only 3 at a time, I told him the rules and he could do himself an injury his reply “Bollards Mr Geoff Bollards”! The twin brothers Paul and Roger around the same age worked with Gerald all three were so Cornish is was a pleasure listening to their fantastic accents and when they fell out it was hilarious as they traded insults. On Thursdays Gerald and Roger would come to HENDRA and as it was a difficult place to park all the cars they elected to do the job! So here we have placid Roger who everyone loves and countless people have asked me ‘what did he say’ and GERALD grumpy but gorgeous! If anyone did not park exactly where Gerald wanted they were made to do it again but his classic Cornish proper Cornish accents conversation with an elderly lady driver after getting it completely wrong was “Come on Mother don’t you know your left from your right or do you think you are on your test yer daft buffer” Fact is she did not hear or understand a word. It was always his ‘Come on Mother’ to complete strangers that amused me but I used to get complaints galore about his rudeness! Correction, He was not RUDE he was outspoken like me we both say it like it is please or offend! On the plus side he loved to see people of his own age group with their own cars selling at the boot sales he used to say “Its bloody great the work we be doing with these car boots we gets the old folks out of their homes and it’s something to do for em better than sitting looking into the bloody fire” ending his statement with an enormous grin. However he really dropped me in the shit one day at HENDRA as the cars were being parked by him and Roger they were collecting the 40p admission a car full of my Caribbean friends parked up only to hear Gerald shout to Roger “They there darkies aint paid” and they understood every word! Instead of speaking to him they came straight to me to complain. I was lost for words here were my friends of many years with stunning Caribbean ebony complexions and Gerald has said “WHAT” I walked up the field and said to Gerald ‘Is it true you called some customers Darkies’? “Well they are aren’t they?” “It is against the laws to speak about coloured people in that manner and ‘I will talk to you at the end of the sale” He explained to me he had always learn the expression from his Dad and he didn’t mean any harm my bird! I said ‘I cannot believe here you are at the age of 70 and still blaming your old man you could cause an International crisis all on your own Gerald and still say “It was me Dad’s fault you old bugger” We all agreed that he would apologise which was accepted as he explained his embarrassment with genuine regret. The one huge loss in his life was his wife he spent a lot of his spare time at The Crematorium Memorial Hall. He wanted to be out the house because of memories and loneliness and he liked to be in company of others. One day off he went from Mitchell to get his shopping from Morrisons and had a serious accident almost outside DAIRYLAND he was lucky to survive with his car being written off. He returned for a few weeks but had lost a bit of his spark and ‘Come on Mother’ attitude. Illnesses followed and his very heavy smoking contributed to Gerald’s death 2 years ago. I still see his daughter and Gerald’s two lovely granddaughters at our boot sales! They are nice kids Gerald you would be proud my lover! Missing you!