Philip was quite a "one off" He sold mobile phone accessories and would also unlock phones for a small fee. He worked around the country at markets and computer fairs. His wife died 15 years ago and he missed her very much. For the last two years he did not have a permanent home, he just stayed with friends and family or B&Bs
He was always ready to help, he babysat his grandchildren at the drop of a hat, I remember once getting into a dangerous situation in grantham, I was terrified, I rang him at 11.00pm told him my situation. He jumped into his car drove 200 miles to pick me up without a single complaint. He let me borrow his car for a month(when my Dad was dying) and he went to work on the train.He used to call me either "My dear lady" or "my love" He didn't like music, but used to come to cleckheaton with me and also whitby sometimes. When I was morris dancing he used to come along to the weekend dance outings.
He took me out for slap up dinners. I introduced him to curry and his favourite was chicken madras, pilau rice and a nan bread.
I used to enjoy cooking for him and on the many holidays we have had together I used to do the breakfasts. He taught me to drive and never once lost his temper at my non existant road sense.

He was building a ginetta kit car, all the years I knew him(14)It started off as white fibre glass pieces that lived on my lawn for over two years. It moved around yorkshire for the next 12 years. Last year in was painted and the inside trim done - this year or next it was to be tested and go on the road. We always joked that it would never be finished, and I'm sad that this turned out to be the case.

Philip was in some ways reliably unreliable. He had what we affectionately called Philip time. You could be in the car with him, say 100 miles from our destination, one of the other traders would ring him and ask what time he was due to arrive. He always said something like "I'll be with you in quarter of an hour" the number of times I felt like grabbing the phone to tell the truth. But we all knew that when Philip said he was just round the corner that he was really 20 miles away!

He usually stayed over on a sunday and monday and we would either have a take away or I would cook there was always wine and we would watch the tele. He laughed at my choice of programme, he called it "hebee jebee stuff" I liked to watch John Edward or Colin Fry.
I used to say to him that when he died that he would meet his wife again. He used to peer over the top of the paper and say"whatever you say my dear"

love

Pat