Page 71 - recollections of a life in Porthleven

shows they were barred from fighting as there were no showmen willing to
take on my Dad or Henry, so I’ve been told. So what did he do instead of
fighting? Well what else would he do…. He took up stamp collecting, joined
Porthleven Band and found himself a lovely wife!

Many years after my Mum passed away (approx 15 years) my Gran told me
Dad was courting a lady from the village called Opal. None of us children
met her for a while but then one afternoon, not long after the boat was
launched, Dad asked Stephen and I if we would like to go out for a fish and
chip supper that evening for a change. I asked why and took a backward step
when he said that he had made friends with a young lady and he would like
us to meet her. So my first meeting with Opal took place in a fish and chip
shop!

Dad’s friendship with Opal grew very strong over the years and they became
very close. Opal was also the sole carer for her elderly parents for a long
time. When they both passed away I wondered if Dad and Opal would marry.
Life is very unfair to some people. Tragically Opal became very ill with a
cancer which took her life. My Dad was devastated, as you can imagine. I
believe he found true love again and I don’t think he ever got over her death.
One evening when I came home from work I noticed Dad’s car parked
outside the house. This was strange as I was always home before him. When
I walked in the kitchen I noticed Gran was sitting next to Dad who was laying
on the settee in the back sitting room. Gran was very upset and you could
see the concern on her face. She all but ran into the kitchen to me and told
me to take Dad’s car and to go and fetch the doctor (we didn’t have a phone).
She told me Dad was very poorly so without hesitation I drove up to the
surgery. I went straight to the receptionist, told her about Dad and asked for
the doctor to go straight down to Trewarvas. The receptionist asked me to
go to the office and the doctor came out and asked me a few questions. He
then told me he could not leave the surgery and told me to bring my Dad up
to him.

When I got Dad up to the surgery the back door was open so I could take
him straight into one of the rooms. The doctor was true to his word and saw
Dad immediately. He called for an ambulance and Dad went to Truro City