Earlier this month, about a week or so after Dennis had passed away, New Years
Honours were awarded; MBEs for sports stars, knighthoods for celebrities, there
were also many ordinary people up and down the Country that received
recognition for what they had done for others. Uncle Dennis never received an
award as such, but we all know he was the sort of guy who surely deserved one
for he was very much a person who would help out absolutely anyone and over
many, many years has no doubt done something for probably the vast majority of
people in Church today.
One very
practical way that Dennis helped others was making available space in his house
for people to live when there was a need. My sister Michelle, her friend Nayna,
Cousin Lee and my brother Mark have all at times lived at Dennis’s house. When
I was 21, I found myself in a difficult situation with nowhere particular to
live, it was Uncle Dennis that offered me a place to stay. I didn’t know Dennis
particularly well at that point but it was over that 2 and a half years that I lived
there that I really came to understand what he was all about. Uncle Dennis was
a very quiet, very humble man who went about his life. He worked nights at TNT
so as I would often be coming home from work or a night out with friends,
Dennis would be getting up for work. I’d be just about getting ready to go to
sleep on a cold night and would say to Dennis how I didn’t envy him going out
to work throughout the night in the cold. Other than the usual Dennis grumbles
which we all knew and loved, he didn’t particularly moan – he just got on with
it – that was very much his way. With his simple cheese sandwhich in a plastic
food bag and perhaps a tomato to take to. He never really ate very much. In
fact, he had a fairly rigourous routine – you could guarantee that at any time
of the year, on any particular day you could open his fridge or a cupboard and
find the same items – Bread, Cheese, Tomatoes of course a bottle of Whiskey
somewhere in a cupboard and of course a Fray Bentos pie.
Living at
Uncle Dennis’s for the time I did allowed me to save up for my first house. And
once I had got enough money together I was able to move out. Dennis wasn’t done
then of course with helping, he was a regular fixture coming round helping with
maintenance work and other errands. Particularly so when Dad had his stroke and
became Chief Foreman with Dennis ably filling the role of Apprentice.
Dennis was
also full of surprises, I remember when he was taken into Addenbrokes for an
operation and had to be kept in for a few days. I remember thinking that this
wouldn’t be easy for him – out of his routine and no doubt in a ward full of
people he didn’t know which may be uncomfortable for him. I made a point of
visiting to check that he was OK and rather than finding him sat in a corner
alone, he was leading a deep discussion with the other guys on the ward about
cars. Dennis had found his audience and I think he was actually a bit sad when
it was time to come home.
Even when I
was ready to move out of my first house at Elm Road after a few years to my
next house, it was Uncle Dennis who was there lending a hand. The week I had to
move was frantic for me and I was working in Cambridge full time for a month
leading up to the move. So every night I’d box up items to be moved and at some
point the following day Dennis would turn up to pick up the items and take to
his house for storage so that when the day of the move came things would be
less stressful. Even once I had moved, Dennis would turn up to cut my grass
when it needed doing – I had my own lawn mower, but he didn’t like it of course
so brought his own along to get the job done. One particular day Mum and Dad
were visiting and we spotted Dennis was in the garden cutting the grass so I
quickly made him a cup of tea and went to take it down to him – by the time I’d
got there he’d cut the grass and gone – no hanging around to wait for
thank-yous. Off he went to get on with something else – that was is way.
I always
wondered if Dennis was happy, he seemed content and he never particularly
complained about anything so I guess he was – I certainly hope he was.
Since my
Dad had his stroke he’s become a much more sociable person – sometimes frankly
we can’t get him to stop talking or using the telephone – as I am sure many of
you can now appreciate. And whilst of course we would all have wished it never
had happened it has been so nice to see over recent years to see the time that
Dennis and Dad have been able to spend with each other. Uncle Richard too has
become a prominent member of the gang, particularly since Aunty Yvonne sadly
passed away. Trevor, Dennis and Richard – a trio of likely suspects if ever
there was one. But the fun that they had together was plain to see and always
made me smile. I was genuinely concerned on occasions that they were laughing
so hard they may cause themselves an injury. One such occasion was no doubt
last Halloween when we decorated Mum and Dads house ready for trick or treaters
but it was Dad and Uncle Richard who dressed up in costume and laid in the
front garden in wait having already telephoned Uncle Dennis asking him to pop
up. Once Dennis has been suitably scared, he got his own mask and took up a
spot in the front garden.
Dennis
didn’t have many hobbies as such but something he did enjoy doing was visiting
Car Boot Sales – not content with visiting a morning bootsale he would often
visit an afternoon one at a different location on the same day. Despite no
doubt dozens and dozens of bootsale trips Dennis would rarely buy anything at
all – I can’t actually remember anything he did buy but he no doubt got
enjoyment from just visiting them.
When Dennis
passed, I was asked if I wanted to visit at the Funeral Parlour – I decided not
to. Every time I think of Uncle Dennis now I remember him on the night we all
went out to celebrate his birthday at a local restaurant. Dennis was smiling
and he was happy – nothing too extravagant but a night out with family and
something to eat was good enough for him. The photo on the front of the service
sheet today is Dennis on that night.
So, no
award as such for Uncle Dennis, but neveretheless, a man that gave so much time
to helping others for little or no reward. But someone that will be sadly
missed and someone that will live on through others, others that will remember
a man that was quiet and humble, someone that got on with their life and helped
others when he could, a role model of sorts in world when those qualities are
not always plain to see.
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Thank-you
Uncle Dennis on behalf of everyone you have ever done something for.
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