My very good friend Glynne celebrated his 98th bithday some days ago. We had a lovely gathering - Champagne, Welsh Cakes, too much chocolate cake, and we told jokes and sang a bit as we always do. I cannot claim to be a Welsh speaker, but thanks to all those lovely Friday lunches with Glynne, I am getting the hang of Ar Hyd y Nos.
Glynne is a former soldier with the London Welsh. He is a Normandy Veteran, and was one of the troops who liberated Brussels from the Germans in 1944. He retains his Welsh accent despite having lived for decades here in Brussels. He married a very pretty girl here, and raised his family. But now he is alone, but with many good friends.
He is a lovely gentleman, with a keen mind and a great love of literature. Our mutual friend Norman, an ex Royal Navy man from Northern Irelend was there with us, along with good folk from all parts of the UK and Belgium.
In 1939, Glynne served as an Ack Ack gunner at RAF Wattisham. I was there myself as a young airman from 1979-1983. We also have a colleague here in Brussels, Julia, who spent time at the base herself. There is a corner of a Belgian bar that is forever RAF Wattisham.......
Awesome, it is fortunate for him he reached that age. Hope he lives more beyond that age.
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