Friday - May 22, 2020

Peiper, his wife, and Alderly

The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way,
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.

JRR Tolkien

Vilmar was kind enough to use some of his photographic skills to make good copies of the few pictures I got from their executor some time ago when he settled their estate. They’re gone a long time now, and probably so is the charming but decrepit little English bungalow they lived in on the outskirts of Winchester, out in the quiet farm lands. I always teased him that he was a hobbit living in the Shire, on a cowpath at the edge of the barrow downs. The house had no number, merely a name. Alderly. Their ancient [bronze age] gnarled and pollarded tree lined driveway-width street has been “discovered” and many of the old homes have been bought up and torn down to make way for modern McMansions. And so the past passes.

They never had chidren.

Peiper was my co-blogger here for years. We exchanged letters, emails, books, presents. We were both fascinated by tales of the old pirate days, and our friendship grew from there. We both loved to read, and the esoteric bits of history. I kept her well supplied with fancy chocolates and holiday goodies after he passed away, along with cards and letters on a regular basis.

I’m not sure of when this picture was from, one of their anniversaries I think, but it shows them both in good health and spirits. And that’s how I shall remember them. Peiper, JayD, Jay. His real name was Joel Diamond, and he and his wife Jennifer died a few years ago.

They were my best friends that I never met, and I only talked to her a few times. I don’t think I ever even talked to Jay, although I kept the phone message he left on our machine after hurricaine Sandy for many years. Digital brothers. She was the most charming woman I’ve ever spoken to. Ten minutes on the phone and it felt like we’d known each other our whole lives. I miss them both.

Click on the image of them for a larger version if you’d like.

UPDATE: Wardmama found a couple old emails they’d shared, and one had a picture of Peiper and “his” gold record. He was a country music DJ in Nashville for a good number of years.

It was the late Royce Kendall on the right, who made sure I was given a gold album (the record co. gave me a plaque for the single).  It would never have occurred to me to think I had one coming, altho in all truth I was the one to get the ball rolling and was the first DJ to pull that song off the LP and play it as a single.  Year is 76. Gosh.

Sure wish I could have my hair back if nothin’ else.

Peiper’s memory might be off a little bit. Looking into the discography of The Kendalls, a father and daughter singing duo, their big hit, was Heaven’s Just a Sin Away, gold record, Grammy winner, #1 on Billboard country tunes ... which came out in 1977.

Posted by Drew458     on 05/22/2020 at 08:27 AM   
Filed Under: • Blog Stuff • Daily Life • Passing on, Death and Disaster •  
• Comments (2) • Trackbacks(0)  Permalink •  

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Not that very many people ever read this far down, but this blog was the creation of Allan Kelly and his friend Vilmar. Vilmar moved on to his own blog some time ago, and Allan ran this place alone until his sudden and unexpected death partway through 2006. We all miss him. A lot. Even though he is gone this site will always still be more than a little bit his. We who are left to carry on the BMEWS tradition owe him a great debt of gratitude, and we hope to be able to pay that back by following his last advice to us all:

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It's been a long strange trip without you Skipper, but thanks for pointing us in the right direction and giving us a swift kick in the behind to get us going. Keep lookin' down on us, will ya? Thanks.

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