DEREK JENKINS

DEREK IS MY UNCLE. I SAY IS BECAUSE FOR ME HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN AND WILL ALWAYS BE MY UNCLE. HE WAS A JOKER AND LOVED PRACTICAL JOKES, NOBODY WAS SAFE BUT HIS ANTICS WERE ALWAYS GUARANTEED TO BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE EXCEPT FOR MY MUM, BARBARA. WE ALWAYS HAD BIG FAMILY GATHERINGS AT XMAS AND ONE TIME HE MIXED MY MUM A DRINK, FULL OF ALCOHOL AND TOLD HER IT WAS A FRUIT JUICE. BECAUSE SHE HAD BEEN DANCING SHE WAS VERY HOT AND DRANK IT STRAIGHT DOWN, OH DEAR WAS SHE ILL THINK IT TOOK HER ABOUT 4 DAYS TO RECOVER. VERY SPORTY ESPECIALLY FOOTBALL, YOU WOULD FIND HIM MOST SUNDAYS ON HACKNEY MARSHES PLAYING FOR A LOCAL FOOTBALL TEAM WHICH WAS A VERY COMMON THING IN THE EAST END, USUALLY ATTACHED TO A PUB. OFTEN ON A SATURDAY HE WOULD GO TO A PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL MATCH WITH MY DAD, HIS BROTHER, AND THEIR DAD. JUST RECENTLY MY DAD SAID HE WANTED TO SEE DEREK SO I TOOK HIM TO SEE HIM. WE HAD A LOVELY AFTERNOON TOGETHER WITH SYLVIE & KEITH. ALTHOUGH HIS MEMORY WAS NOT VERY GOOD HE KNEW US AND WE TALKED ABOUT FAMILY AND OLD TIMES AND EVEN SANG SONGS TOGETHER. IT WAS SO IMPORTANT FOR MY DAD AS IT WAS THE LAST TIME WE SAW HIM. MEMORIES LIVE ON AND WHILE WE HAVE HIM IN OUR HEARTS AND MINDS HE WILL NEVER BE GONE.