Once again, thanks for all the kind messages, including Phil's banana
. I had to laugh at Whatton's post. That is also one of my favourite memories. My old man did a power of swearing when he spoke English. He blamed that on being a POW over here when the first words he learned working on farms were swear words. He might have been telling the truth because he didn't use nearly as many profanitites when he spoke in German.
As Kev said in his post, we were having a couple of pints with my dad who was holding court. He enjoyed that. Kev, his son Callum and mate Jonty then headed off in Kev's van back down to the bier festival site for more drink. They tooted and waved as the drove past us and my old man waved back enthusiastically. I knew by his expression and body language that he had enjoyed their company greatly.
This was confirmed when he said, "Aye. They seem nice enough cunts."
His funeral service is on Monday so I'm driving over after work on Friday. He was actually cremated last night which is how things are done apparently in Germany. Completely private (no family members or public allowed). His ashes in the urn are then delivered to the church for what I suppose is actually a memorial service as in this case, there is no burial of ashes. He wanted his ashes scattered beside my mum's ashes up Glenshee, near Blairgowrie.
Scattering ashes isnt allowed in Germany so they have to be couriered between the undertaker over there and one in Scotland who can accept them and then hand them over to me.
I'll miss my old man greatly as will my wife and kids/grandchildren but after 32 years living in Germany, it'll be nice to have both him and my mum back here in Scotland.