Our Dad wasn't famous He was just an ordinary man born into a family of 12 brother and sisters, off which he was the youngest and sad to say the last surviving. Our dad loved his brothers and sisters, they were his pals as well as his siblings, they would all join together too party on a regular basis, but particularly at Hogmany. Mum and Dad would round up all us kids on New Years day to go first footing, and at each of the houses the group got bigger and bigger till we would end up at one of the Aunties house and then the party would really start. Us kids under the table drinking straight blackcurrant cordial, always in a lovely wee liquor glass , while the adults did their party pieces, usually with dad being compère and organising the games. How, Dad loved when there was someone new at a party cos then he could drag out his old jokes and his party games - like We 3 kings, dead man body and the ladle and spoon game, with the new person being the butt of the joke. Then there was also the year that he auctioned off Agnes to Sonny's mates off the trawlers, then Auntie Betty got so enthusiastic about kissing Uncle Stevie over the garden gate that she fell right over the door. In later years they would still meet up but usually for a coffee in Leith. When times got tough dad took to home brewing, The nights mum was woken to corks popping, never champagne corks it was bottles of beer and wine over fermenting. Then the Garden Parties started, I say garden parties it was doon the back green at Drylaw with a mixed variety of plastic chairs and canvas seat that at various points, legs would fall off or people would fall through. Dads new games during this period was the B7 bomber and Ha Ha Ha Ho Ho Ho Hee Hee Hee of which he would conduct everyone with great glee and less skill as the home brew kicked in. Though out all of this his love of music was central. He always had the tunes to get folk up and dancing and when it was time for everyone to go, out came the Neil Diamond albums, which was code for 'get oot it time for Isa's bed'. Dad loved music, it was one of the things that got him through a lot of the times he spent in hospital, 'Isa bring in some more, I've listened to all of those' he would say as he handed back a case of discs. And it wasn't just music of his youth, it was the music or his children's and grandchildrens era's as well. Even in the last few weeks of his life he had Charlie playing his guitar , which got the thumbs up. Elvis on the ipod and Stevie, Helen and Lisa dancing round his bed to some Rod Stewart number with dad giving his shoulders a good work out. I'm not sure that he will forgive us for not playing one of his favourites today, Johnny Cash singing Ring of Fire, as he did want today to have humour. Music was his second love his first love was our mum. They were just 6 weeks short of being married 58 years. Those years were not always easy years and certainly not always happy, but the one certainty in them all was that Dad adored the bones of our mum. A normal sight of our youth was them dancing in the kitchen. Dad wasn't always a well man and through Migraines, arthritis operations and old age our mum took care of him. Mum said to me recently that love isn't always a instant thing it something that comes with time and work, and they both worked and took their time at being in love, and with that, the love came to us kids. He showed his love to us in lots of ways. There was the discipline side. When one of us had done something wrong, Out would come the belt or worse still the poison penny, for those who don't know this was just a old Victorian penny, there we would stand mouths open, tongues out waiting for the penny, just a wee bit scared,until Alex confessed, which he always did, regardless of whether he had done it or not. But usually his love was shown with humour and beardie bobs on our bellies, and the occasional licked eye. Those ways of showing his love passed to his grandchildren and to his great grandchildren most of whom know him as Beardie Bob. I've not mentioned dads working life. He worked at the Wire Works and Parsons Peebles amongst other places, but that wasn't what was important to dad. He just worked to make ends meet and sometimes failed at that. Dad loved to get stuff cheaply and not always legitimately. There was nothing he liked more than a good haggle. I think the happiest he ever was in his working life was when him and mum were dealing in antiques. He would find stuff and take them down to show his sisters at their regular coffee meetings and usually came away with a sale. I think that he missed his true vocation as he could sell snow to Eskimos. Dad had a passion for good food, good holidays, Heart of Midlothian,mucky jokes, technology and time with friends and family, He fought to the end as he didn't want to leave the party that his life was, but Dad was a believer in an after life. We know he will be having a great time with his brothers and sisters, reminiscing. Jake will be getting Hell about those lottery numbers he told him about in a dream, and our wee brother will be getting all the kisses and cuddles he missed out on when he was taken from us. So as I said, Our Dad wasn't famous, but to us kids he was Special and that is much more important. We'll love you and leave you dad.