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Really sorry to hear that Bill, my deepest sympathy to you and your family.

At those times it's good you have good memories at your dad. You both did many things together for example the barns you made together.

 

Texas

 

Thanks for your kind words David, Bas and Sean. Yes we worked and did a lot of things together but hopefully he has taught me some trade secrert over the years.

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Thanks Justin but at 83 he has had a good life and a long retirement.He can now rest in peace and we have a lot of good memories and I see today as being a celebration of his life although I think it is going to be tough going.

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Alex...many thanks and although we had an argument or two we always made up at the end of the day when he came over most weekend's when I was at home. He was my second man at the rallies and my brass polisher. The chapel was full with 130 family and friends and around 70 odd at the grave and then the local bowling club for tea / coffee / sausage rolls / sandwiches and biscuits. It was a lovely warm and sunny day which he would have liked....I'll miss "Auld Jocky" as I  called him and  we used to have names for each other but well he has been a supportive dad to me for 50 odd years and I pleased to see him at rest but I have all the memories of the times with him and mum. All I need to do now is ensure I keep mum on an even keel in her 81st year.

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Today I heard that an ex-colleague of mine has been given just two weeks to live. She had a brain tumour a few years ago and after an operation and treatment seemed to be in remission. Sadly that doesn't seem to be the case. A lovely, scatty lady who is far too young to leave us.

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Receiving a phone call this morning telling me a local Aberdeenshire steam engine enthauiast Alfie Cheyne was tradgedly killed when he was crushed by an artic / lowloader at the Ace Winches yard at Auchterless near Turriff.

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found out today, that a guy I have known for a long time, who did all of our civils work , new boxes, duct etc, was found Thursday morning at home dead , poor fella committed  suicide ,no reason known as yet and no note left either .will be missed by the guys he works with, as he may have been 65 odd, but he could out dig any of the younger guys without even breaking a sweat 

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Today when I stopped off at Earnvale Tractors the John Deere dealers at Balbeggie on my way to the G&M event at the Holiday Inn Express at Perth I got a phone call from writer and historian Pete Small asking me about some models he had ordered from G&M and also about the two ploughing matches in Cupar on Saturday and Sunday, After that he told me Joe Watson the Farming Editor of the Press and Journal had died last night. I could not believe it since Joe is only 43 and I have emailed and spoken to him over the past 3 years in connection with promoting the Aberdeen Model show and also seen and spoken to him at various agricultural shows and also ploughing matches. Very very sad and it cracks me up when good and talented folk like Joe are taken from us at too early and age...RIP Joe.

 

Press and Journal farming editor Joe Watson dies
_73442848_watsonpa.jpgJoe Watson became the P&J's farming editor in 1996

The Press and Journal's award-winning agricultural editor Joe Watson has died at the age of 43.

Mr Watson joined the regional newspaper as a young reporter after first working at his home town's weekly paper, the Turriff Advertiser, in Aberdeenshire.

A former pupil and prefect at Turriff Academy, he became the Press and Journal's farming editor in 1996.

Editor-in-chief Damian Bates said Mr Watson had been a "brilliant journalist".

He said: "Joe was a beautiful human being, a gentle giant and a skilled reporter who knew his subject inside and out.

"I can't believe he's been taken from us - we're all heartbroken."

Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead offered his condolences to Mr Watson's family, friends and colleagues.

He said: "I am shocked and saddened to hear that we have lost Joe Watson and, like so many people, I can't quite believe that he's no longer with us.

"I have known and worked with Joe for over 20 years since his days as a local reporter and in his role as the Press and Journal's farming man."

In a tribute, the Scottish Farmer magazine described Mr Watson as a hard working, campaigning journalist who had not been afraid to ask awkward questions.

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Today I watched a TV program about the first World war about the real war horses. A very interesting and very sad account of the soldiers and their horses during the conflict.

 

     It started with the horses being taken from England and the ordeal they suffered initially in travelling to Europe. As they explained; few of the horses had ever seen the sea, and were terrified of being loaded on to boats. Many were put to work with very little training and entered battle fields; where they suffered from injuries and many died of exhaustion during their service.  Many became so stuck in mud that after soldiers spent hours trying to save them; they had to be put out of their misery where they were.

 

     The main subject of the program was a horse called Warrior; who appeared to lead a charmed existence; avoiding injury and surviving to the end of the war. He was taken home by his keeper and lived to be thirty three years old before he died.

 

     It was sad to hear how soldiers were devoted to their horses and they were often inseparable. Many of the soldiers found comfort in their animals and lived with them twenty four hours of the day; telling them all their problems and seeking comfort from them. It must have been terrible for a soldier to have to shoot his horse. This act was considered to be above and beyond the call of duty and would have absolutely devastated its keeper.

 

     Sad too was the fact that the army had about seven hundred and fifty thousand horses in Europe and when the war ended they were only able to bring home about twenty five thousand of them. Some were sold to French farmers and the remainder became food for the starving French. A sad end for such a noble animal and especially after all they had gone through. 

 

     Thank goodness that we will never see such terrible scenes as these ever again.

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I did not watch it, William.  I have seen similar documentaries and found them distressing.

 

I do know that many of the horses were suffering from saddle sores and damaged backs as saddles were switched from one to another with no regard as to fit. How I know I cannot remember - perhaps my grandfather said something although he never spoke much about his war experience but he did love the horses he worked with.  He was one of the lucky ones who survived the Somme.  My one recollection of him talking of his war experiences was when I was only 4 or 5 years old and he was talking to my father.  He said. "There we were on Christmas Day playing football together in no man's land and the next day we were blowing each other's brains out again."

 

He was so sad that I did not ask what he was talking about although I had some idea as I knew something of the first war.  I asked my father later and he explained about the two armies and the one day truce but I have never forgotten those words or the look on my grandfather's face.

 

I echo your sentiment.

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