Violet and Bob watched our family grow for twenty one years. As neighbours they were part of family life, they were just there.... When little and learning to cook the girls would always take a sample for them to try, and the comments were always positive, even if the offering was slightly burnt! Bob would spend hours talking to George about cricket and supported him through the cricketing ranks as he grew. Always interested, and wanting a blow by blow account of each match. Our strongest memories are of Violet and Bob turning up at one of the children's parties... Violet dressed as a pumpkin and Bob as a spider! They were always up for a bit of fun. George can remember (when he was very little) going to play cricket with Bob in their garden with the cricket gnomes ..... who actually came alive during the game! Those memories will never be lost and are treasured. Raspberries, runner beans, Cobb nuts, and apples ... sharing and swapping home grown vegetables was always good fun. I still look out of the window to see if the washing is out, and if Bob is working on his vegetable patch. They are very much missed and won't be forgotten. Deborah and family The Pardoes

Funeral trivia & musings...Dad was a quiet, unassuming man, and never wanted 'a fuss' (the epitome of the old Commercial Union slogan: We Won't Make A Drama Out Of A Crisis!), but I think he would appreciate all the love and thought we've tried to put into his funeral. He loved music of many sorts, but particularly Bing Crosby, Sinatra and Andre Rieu...Sinatra couldn't contribute much towards the funeral music ("My Way" was definitely not dad's motto!), so for the secular music we have chosen Bing Crosby singing I'll Be Seeing You. Andre Rieu has been chosen for the other instrumental music at the start and end of the service: What A Wonderful World and Time To Say Goodbye, which speak for themselves. Both hymns were chosen as Mum and Dad had them at their wedding: The King Of Love My Shepherd Is (which is a setting of Psalm 23) and Praise My Soul The King Of Heaven. With so few people allowed to attend the funeral, we have chosen choir-backed tracks to help swell our meagre voices! David was hoping to record the Address from his home in Sweden to be broadcast as part of the service, but unfortunately ill health has prevented him from doing so; I hope we have managed to incorporate as many of his ideas and themes into it as we can, but we shall miss his 'voice'. Sue, and daughter Katy, have valiantly chosen to make the Family Tribute, bringing together lots of memories from family and friends, to give us a fuller picture of Dad's life. Hannah - the youngest of 10 grandchildren - is reading the lovely poem God's Garden - as it reminds her of all the time Dad spent gardening at our house! I'm reading the Bible readings (Matthew 11, v28-30, plus Revelations 21, v1) particularly for the words 'gentle and humble in heart' which were traits of Dad. The flowers have a whole lot of symbolism, (although the florist warns they are currently subject to availability!) We have chosen roses, to represent a lad of Hampshire origin, plus also the emblem of Hampshire cricket. The red and white colours represent Saints, of which he was a lifelong supporter, and the foliage is green and yellow to represent his 50+ year association with New Milton Cricket Club, in all his many roles. There are three large red roses (his children), ten small white bud roses (his grandchildren) and two small red bud roses (his great-grandchildren). Finally, tying everything together, will be some twine to show his love of gardens and gardening, and a bow containing some Violet ribbon. I hope you can picture it! It has been a privilege to draw all these aspects of dad's life into his final send off.

An honest man here lies at rest, The friend of man, the friend of truth, The friend of age, and guide of youth: Few hearts like his, with virtue warm’d, Few heads with knowledge so informed; If there’s another world, he lives in bliss; If there is none, he made the best of this. Epitaph on a Friend Robert Burns