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253201 AB. Edwin Stanley John Branch Royal Navy from:Thurrock, Essex  Our grandfather, Edwin Stanley John Branch (aka Granddad, Papa and Pop, Eddie). To me he was always Pop.
I think that we would all agree that Pop was far from your stereotypical grandfather and due to that I have picked out a number of his quirks and some memories to share, that hopefully we can all reflect back on and have a smile or laugh about.
Your average trip down to visit Pop and Granny (or Mate as Pop liked to call her) was always an adventure and always predictable.
Pop would always complain that he didn't get enough visitors. But when his average greeting involved a loud "what you doing here?", was it any wonder why!
Regardless of it being a Saturday or Sunday you could guarantee the sport was on the TV. How did you know? You could invariably hear it as you turned into the Beach Estate. While he had his favourite TV, Pop always believed in having a few spares tucked away just in case the unthinkable happened and he risked missing Giant Haystacks take on Big Daddy.
Watching the sport with Pop was also an experience not to be missed. Come ice age or heatwave the fire would be on full blast. While the rest of the house gradually froze, Pop would bask in the furnace that was the living room. You'd always struggle for a decent angle as well, as Pop's big lay back chair dominated the best viewing spot. So there you are, slowly roasting, crooked neck, a crackly black and white screen, going deaf - great times.
Relief only came when nature called. However, this in itself was never a straightforward task. If the overwhelming odour of mothballs didn't take you down, the wall of spare disinfectant and toilet roll certainly would. As you finally reached the toilet you'd get a timely reminder from Pop not to flush the loo. For a man who always claimed to be deaf in one ear, he'd always know if you'd pulled the chain.
His obsession with water preservation was taken to the extreme. He often complained that it never rained in Kent, but the 73 overflowing water-butts in the garden told a different story. He had more water tucked away there than the local reservoir. Never has a Water Company gone to such lengths to offload a customer. The fact they had to pay him each month made him something of a legend in the neighbourhood.
As you'll all recall, Pop was a very resourceful man, he was prepared for every eventuality. Even it seems the second Great Flood. A modern day Noah, Pop had his very own inflatable ark stashed away in the back bedroom. To be honest he had more to fear from his own water-butts than he did from the British weather.
Just in case the Flood never materialised Pop had another use lined up for the boat. He fancied himself as a bit of a fisherman. His plan was to row out to sea with a rope attached to the shore. In order to get back in, he'd give a signal and our poor wee Granny would be expected to pull him back to the beach. It will come as no surprise to you all that the boat is still in its original wrapping.
Pop never found himself short of food it was after all his first love. He loved a trolley full of bargains that ensured he always had a healthy stock of food in his cupboards, some of which was in date. He planned his dinners for the week ahead and these were normally laid out in the kitchen for all to see. He must have had an iron stomach, or was it the copious amounts of Gaviscon that kept him well? We know he loved his fish and chips and at first there was nowhere like Mumfords but more recently Pappas became his favourite. He had a very big appetite but when beaten by the portion size he would ask for a doggy bag to take home to make sure he had space for his ice cream in a cone to finish.
The Fagg's have a fond memory as youngsters when they went to Grannie and Pops for breakfast when Maggie was on a night shift. Pop would save the end crusts of the bread for them and then would smother them in butter and smooth peanut butter. If you were favourite of the week you got to eat yours on the stool in the kitchen. Another little privilege and an everlasting memory.
He knew almost everyone in Hythe but if not, he made sure they knew him, he was always helpful with the older neighbours doing errands and helping where he could.
Pops dislike of cats in his garden resulted in it looking like Fort Knox with barbed wire everywhere, this also doubled up in making the garden grandchildren proof. If we did get out on his front lawn to play it was a rare treat.
His bone crushing cuddles especially if you were female and his very firm strong hand shakes for the men are legendary. The tufts of chest hair over his tee shirts and his sticky out nipples are to. They were big enough to hang your jacket on, or cause an industrial injury.
His toothless grin whilst humming and whistling, telling all his age as he did age early but then stayed very young looking for years thereafter.
Even in his late 70's I am sure he still thought he was a 20 year old. On one particular occasion Craig and I where helping prune his conifers under his close supervision when the ladder he was on started to fall. I managed to grab it and saved him from falling. His response was you should have let it go as I would have dived off onto the ground, that's what I normally do.
Pops Driving!
Pop had more cars than I can remember, he had a very heavy foot when driving, undertaking in bus lanes, and a speed demon on local roads but a slow coach when on the motorways plodding along at 50 Mph.
He was very fit in his younger years training at boxing and then boxing in the Navy, though he ended up punching well above his weight when he met our lovely Granny. What a catch she was for him.
Stamp, collecting, coin collecting, postcards etc his list of hobbies was endless very much like the amount of jobs he started and never finished. I actually think he collected whatever was going not to mention the watches and clocks we found in abundance whilst clearing out his house.
He had a great interest in the Branch family history. He spend many years with Uncle Stan researching the family tree of which Ian is now keeping up to date.
Pop enjoyed retelling his many stories from the war some of which included his time in Bermuda driving around in the admiral's big car, the time he forgot to untie the boat and damaged the prop shaft whilst leaving for a mission to see the relief vessel not returning.
The time they come head to head with a destroyer. About to get blown out of the water and the destroyer changes route. His guardian angel looking down on him once again.
I am sure that he was a cat in disguise with this amount of lives? But 96 years of age that is some feat. I think about the changes that he saw and experienced during those years.
Words from Pop, A poem adapted by my Dad, Ted.
Another year has passed And we're all a little older. Last summer felt hotter And winter seems much colder.
There was a time not long ago When life was quite a blast. Now I fully understand About 'Living in the Past'
We used to go to weddings, Football games and lunches. Now we go to funeral homes And after-funeral brunches.
We used to have hangovers, From parties that were gay. Now we suffer body aches And whine the night away.
We used to go out dining, And couldn't get our fill. Now we ask for doggie bags, Come home and take a pill.
We used to often travel To places fine and fair. Now we get sore bottoms From sitting in the chair.
We used to go to football And drink a little booze. Now we stay home at night And watch the evening news.
That, my friends is how life is, And now my tale is told. So, enjoy each day and live it up. Before you're too damned old!
Great Granddaughter's Prayer from Isla
Dear Holy Father,
Thank you for letting me get to know my Great Grandad. He served in one world war and I can still hear him bossing me around in my head. Soon he will be going up to heaven to see you and Granny. Every time I look at fish and chips or an ice cream. I think of him. I loved him very much.
Amen 
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