This was written by Simon Monk about his Grandad for the Osmond Family Facebook page. Peter Oades mother was an Osmond whose ancestors were clock makers in Tisbury, Wiltshire, and Stonemason at Salisbury Cathedral.

My Grandad

Growing up I always thought my Grandad was strict and a bit scary. I guess it was the Head Master in him and the fact that he always wanted to ensure that I, my sister and my cousins grew up properly. One of my earliest memories of him was him telling me off for talking back to my Dad when we were out having a meal - a lesson to respect my elders that stays with me to this day!

My memories of my Grandad from this time are all confectionary based - be it the magic chickens he kept with Granny at the vicarage in Woodford that would lay Creme eggs at Easter or the Christmas when I was about 10 that he told me Ferrero Rocher were posh adult chocolates that were to be savoured and not gobbled up (I think I had scoffed about 3 by that point but consider this to be our “Werther’s Original” moment - I always think of Grandad whenever I eat some).

Of course I never grew tired of winding up my RE teachers by informing them that my Grandad married my Mum (well technically he did didn’t he?!)

My fondest memories though will be of getting to know him as a man and discovering that behind the “Head Master” was a wicked sense of humour that was capable of being quite cheeky when he wanted. I also discovered a man with a fascinating life who wasn’t afraid of sharing stories of life in Kenya, Salisbury etc. when Lucy and I would quiz him on his past.

I’ll always be most grateful of the fact he was able to meet Finn, my son and the youngest of his great-grandchildren, all of whom he leaves as his legacy in his very own corner of the Osmond family tree.

Mourn his loss we shall,

But saddened do not be,

For he is not lost forever,

But lives on in you and me.                                         

Simon Monk

Festival Edition 2012

Canon Peter Robert Oades (1924-2012)