I wish, I wish, I wish I had a brother

I must have been about five years old.  We were at our Grandmother's home.

We were my two older sisters, my twin sister, and me.

My  memory tells me that these three sisters were picking on me, and that I exclaimed "I wish, I wish, I wish I had a brother".

That wish was fulfilled fourfold.  It all started with my brother Andrew.  He was born on 7th February 1950.

By 1954 I had four brothers, the aforementioned Andrew, then David, Stephen, and Martyn.  I am rather partial to each of them.

7th February!  Oh yes, today was Andy's 66th birthday.  We chatted earlier today.

The photo' was taken at a party at the home of my sister Jean and her husband John on the day I was ordained Deacon in Bristol U.K. Cathedral. (27th June 1976).

(As you face the photo') I am on the left with my shock of red hair and huge beard.  Andy is in the middle.  Brother Stephen is to his right,  In between Andy and me is his former wife Barbara (still a good friend of the family), and to Stephen's right is his wife Angela,  The kid on the right must surely be my first born nephew David (but I am open to correction by one or others of my sibs!)


Oh, when we had hair!  Oh, those bell bottomed jeans,

(About ten days after this photo'was taken I flow from London to Boston in order to become the Deacon in Charge at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Fitchburg, MA.  It was supposed to be a two year contract.  Forty years on I am still in the U.S..A.!)


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