How do I describe my (our) Dad?
Caring / Loyal / Funny / Resilient are some of the words that come to mind
Many people have said he was “a gentleman” but to Sally, Mandy and I he was just DAD
He was definitely a family man and we were lucky to grow up in the 60s and 70s when life was just more innocent.
He was always at home for tea and to help with homework – including going to the library to find reference books. The “fart in the library” is part of Castle family folklore, not because it broke the silence but because he feigned innocence and then asked why everybody else was hiding from him.
Amongst Sally’s friends he was undisputed “idiot dad of the week”.
He couldn’t pass a tree stump or raised mound without doing a little dance on the top and singing “I’m the king of the castle – you’re the dirty rascal” - Funny when you are 5, less so at 15.
Shop windows were an opportunity for doing his Harry Worth impression. But if we used the window to check our reflection (as teenage girls would do) he would come up behind us and start preening himself!!  To this day I can only risk a quick sideways glance to check I’m OK.
We often used to meet him at South Harrow station  – waiting behind the barrier to see him come down the stairs – trying to be first to spot him
Family meals were fine but going out for meals was a bit of a minefield – especially when the food orders were taken.
“Would you like chips or salad?”  SALAD?!   That’s rabbit food
“Cream, ice cream or custard” - ice cream on a hot pudding? – Theatrical shudder
We had lots of memorable holidays at holiday camps on the Isle of Wight, Hayling Island and Norfolk. (remember the TV programme Hi-de-Hi ?)
We managed to go away at the end of the “long hot summer of 1976” – when it was so cold and wet we had to go shopping for warmer clothes while we were there. One of the rearranged activities was a general knowledge quiz – he named our paper “Daddy Castle” – cue embarrassed daughters when he won and the team name was read out.
We also visited our Grandparents near Eastbourne when we would go for long walks on the South Downs and along the prom. We would also go onto the pier to spend our money in the Blue room. In later years he organised several LTSA holidays to Eastbourne (I joined them for a few days last year) – the last one being at the end of April this year.
Mum and Dad enjoyed many holidays in their retirement, to Majorca and the Canaries mainly, but also extensively in the UK making the most of City-break deals.
Dad loved football; he played with the RAF in Germany during his national service and also with London Transport. He was also a good amateur player with Isleworth Ivydene until injury/family stopped him. He was a knowledgeable spectator at live matches and avid checker of the results on a Saturday afternoon. He proposed to Mum on cup final day 1959 and was still watching the cup final from his hospital bed this year – giving regular updates to the Watford supporter in the bed opposite him.
I was lucky enough to be taken by him to Bobby Moore’s last match at Fulham in May 1977 and we also saw George Best play.
Dad was a lifelong Brentford supporter and we had his 80th birthday celebrations in hospitality at Griffin Park when he and Mandy went onto the pitch before the start of the match (against Preston). Mandy and I went to the Brentford - Preston game in early May, but before the game we had all had a bet on the outcome.  He was closest to the correct score line – but not close enough.
Dad was a handyman, my daughter Lauren once asked “when is Granddad next going to visit because there are quite a lot of things that need fixing?” He did fix everything – even the “5 minute” jobs that took all day to sort.
Just a month ago he drew Mandy a circuit diagram to sort out the lights in the conservatory – he suggested she tested the circuit first and then joked that it was “only the bad apprentices that got an electric shock”
Despite his education being affected by the war Dad was a clever man and was very proud that his Daughters all went off to University and got good degrees. Maybe he was just more pleased that leaving home was made easy for us –although I did return for 6 months when I started my first job.
Many people have stayed with Mum and Dad over the years if working in London – Peter (my cousin) and his grandsons Sean and Liam. Many more people have been welcomed on a short visit – the  most recent was Adam (my son) and his friends just before he went to Australia.
Before his illness I would have described Dad as being very fit for his age. He never complained (to us) but he was frustrated and kept apologising for falling asleep.
The hospital staff commented he was a very good patient
The end of May – when we were all together again for a few days – was a happy time with a lot of laughs alongside the tears – even then Dad joked “if we pay for you to fill your car up with petrol will you go home”.
 Dad was planning to the end – making sure we were all going to be OK; he even ensured he was going to have the last word today by quoting from the poem that Sally is going to read in a minute.
So to finish my tribute...... thanks Dad for showing that true love lasts a lifetime and for giving us the strength to get through today and the weeks ahead.
Julie x