Grandad Eric

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Grandad Eric was a lovely chap

Always waving to that invisible man stood behind our back

Sending out greetings from the comfort of his chair

We’d turn around to find no-one there.

The smell of ripe tomatoes in the greenhouse was heaven

Mingled in with St Bruno* and Party Seven**

Adventures and tales of a gardener’s life

In a shed where he hides away from the wife.

He’d pull on his braces and puff on his pipe

And say these onions would go lovely with tripe

He’d keep garden fertiliser in a jar of Gold Blend

The generation that had to make do and mend.

Had plenty of time to practise his tricks

Since he retired from work in '76

Never seemed the academic sort

But knew lots of things that couldn’t be taught.

Now that times are hard I wish he was here

To pull that coin from behind my ear

He’d say things like “always get up early”

And “ wash you hands before tea”

And “never a borrower or a lender be”.

No more St Bruno and Party Seven 

He now grows tomatoes in a greenhouse in heaven

The invisible man is taking a nap

Grandad Eric was a lovely chap.

* St Bruno is pipe tobacco popular in the 1970’s

** Party Seven was a 7 pint can of beer again popular in the 1970’s