Friday, August 20, 2010

Remembering John Ballard

The funeral of John Ballard takes place at the Congregational Chapel in Market Harborough today. John was a lifelong Liberal and one of my helpers in my district council by-election in 1986. I am sorry I cannot be there and shall remember John for his great good humour and for the pleasure he got from seeing the Liberals do well in local elections.

Before his retirement John had been a carpet layer. In fact he had laid most of the carpets in the old people's bungalows in the ward. Our canvassing there consisted of his introducing me to the residents and telling them to vote for me.

As far as we could tell, most of them did. Sometimes local politics is very simple.

Before the war John had been a stable lad at Melton Mowbray. The Prince of Wales, the future Edward VIII, used to hunt there, knew him by name and always asked after him.

No comments: