So my late maternal grandfather Bill Butcher passed away in November 1969.
I remember my mother's tears on that night still to this very day. His collection of worldly goods was distributed around the place, and my mother ended up with her father's watch.
A Dupont, made in Switzerland for the French luxury goods retailer.
Mother kept that watch in her jewell case and looked at it now and then.. and I have no doubt she was remembering happy times with her father.
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| My Maternal Grand Parents |
Time marches on and in 1998, mother herself died and I inherited that jewell box containing Bill Butchers watch. For 22 years it has sat on the desk in the studio work rooms both at Clayfield and here in Hendra. Looking at that watch nearly every day I decided it had to be passed along....
My cousin Graham Butcher has sons that carry the Butcher name onwards still. So it seemed to me only natural that he should have grandfather Bill Butcher's old watch for posterity to be handed down as a family heirloom.
Now after after being in the Taylor's possession for some 52 years, today was the handover day for the watch.
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| Cousin Graham Butcher with our Grandfather's watch. |
Brother Paul and Graham and I had lunch at the Shingle Inn at Chermside and I am sure this is the first time Graham had seen that watch since our grandfather passed away. Graham wound it up and away it went.. still working over 52 years since it was last worn.
Felt good for the 3 of us to be there in the moment with that link to our late grandfather.
And it felt awesome to give it to Graham too.
