My second funeral of the week this morning at 'the Res', with a good turnout of Cardiff Bay Yacht Club and fishing colleagues of the deceased. As part of the tribute to his garmpy, one of grandsons, a university history student, wrote a well crafted poem which was both affectionate and humorous. He hadn't written this by Monday evening when I visited the family, but none of them were bothered as they were confident, justifiably it turned out, in his ability to deliver.
Interment in Western Cemetry followed, and while we were waiting to get started, I noticed among the tombstones in an adjacent plot the grave of Fr Frank Begley, complete with a little photo vignette of him smiling in his clericals. I wonder if this was done tongue in cheek. I get the impression it's not considered kosher in Church in Wales' graveyards, (which Western Cemetery is not) and Frank was a Church in Wales priest, although he converted to Roman Catholicism in retirement. He was also celibate, yet the inscription declared he was lovingly remembered by Edwin and his family. Edwin was a young student from Malaysia whom he befriended decades ago. Edwin stayed in the UK, married and had a family, and Frank remained an honoured paterfamilias to them, right to the end of his life.
After lunch I went in to town and did a couple of hours work in the office, before supper and my usual Thursday outing to Penarth for Tai Chi.
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