Blood will out

 I write this on the way back from Sheffield train station, where I've been discussing with a city council representative the memorial plaque that will be unveiled on or around Friday 10th November of the four Pridmore brothers killed in the first world war. I'll write more detail about that soon, but I just wanted to say how impressed I am with the Pridmore DNA today!

Getting dressed this morning with my usual care and attention, I picked up the top T-shirt from the pile and put it on. It's the one saying "A WORKING CLASS HERO IS SOMETHING TO BE - JOHN LENNON - 1940-1980" and I thought to myself "Wait, have I possibly misjudged the mood of this whole gathering?"

This meeting had been organised by my second cousin once removed, Mick, who's the main mover behind this memorial tribute. I'd never met him before, and it suddenly occurred to me that he and the man from the council might be all full of the glorious and heroic sacrifice of the brothers, turn up in sombre suits and ties, be horrified that I showed up proclaiming support for John Lennon and his distaste for the glories of war, and end up cancelling the whole thing. Which would really annoy all the relatives who've been looking forward to this excuse for a rare Pridmore family gathering. But I decided to wear the shirt anyway just on principle, and made my way to the train station.

There I met my cousin Sue (Bill's Sue), who I hadn't seen since my dad's funeral in 2006, and also my other cousin Sue (Bernie's Sue), who I hadn't seen since Granddad's birthday in 1980, but they both recognised me immediately as looking "just like George", so there was no problem there.

And then we were approached by another man - short, heavily built, bald on top, flowing white hair, grey moustache, a real spitting image of my dad if ever I saw one, and wearing a T-shirt with John and Yoko and their WAR IS OVER banner. Why on earth did I think anyone with Pridmore blood would be anything different?

And the man from the council was also delighted with the family history details we supplied him with, we're going to flood him with as much more as we can gather, and it's all going to be a spectacular occasion! Any Pridmore relatives reading this should most definitely consider themselves invited to the unveiling!