Vocal Voices

Today, I am going to part of the funeral of Norman, a law clerk who worked in the family law firm since before I was born. He worked for my grandfather, uncle and father, and was still there when Miss Osc did her training there. He was extremely well known down at the law courts, and he knew everybody. He was what we would call an odd little man and today would possibly be thought of as autistic. He started working for Roger Greene and Sons when he was about 15 in 1947 or 1948 and carried on until relatively recent years when he became increasingly confused and forgetful. My father sold the firm in the ‘80s but Norman carried on working, through retirement age and beyond. He he was meticulous, had total control of the petty cash and woe betide you if you left it a penny short! Miss Osc was very fond of him, and thankfully the people who now own the firm cared for him too. He never married and after he stopped work, he was living in poor conditions with a brother-in-law, two elderly men not really able to look after themselves. The owners of the firm got him into a good nursing home, where he lived until his death last week.

There is a lovely photo of Norman and my mother at Miss Osc’s wedding, a nice memory. People like Norman were the bedrock of many legal firms back in the day, keeping things going smoothly while the solicitors did the upfront “important” stuff. There are not too many like him now. For us, it is like the last link to Dad’s firm finally broken, it was founded by my great grandfather in 1896, he had been a law clerk too but went on to study as a solicitor.

RIP Norman, what a nice story of his life you've written there Osc. It's lovely to read that he was well thought of and received good care in his later years.
I didn't realise that Miss Osc came from a long line of solicitors!

Incidentally, my lovely brother in law is also called Roger Green, but without the final 'e'.

RIP Norman. Very sad for you Osc, to lose that last link to your family's business xx

RIP Norman. xx

No Osc, there aren't many like Norman around now. It's good to know he was cared for in his final years.

A lovely tribute, Osc - and certainly the end of an era.

In the old days and in old-fashioned firms, if I may put it like that, there was always a niche for the Normans of this world. Very few, if any, positions like that around these days …...

My sister and I went to the funeral home today, where Norman was “in repose”. One of the firm’s partners was there, I have met her before, also her sister who had worked with Miss Osc - some family were there, but did not stay long. Two other women came along who had worked with Miss Osc as well and we had a nice chat, with my sister and I telling them some family history which they found interesting. Miss Osc will go to the funeral mass tomorrow.

JoM wrote:Incidentally, my lovely brother in law is also called Roger Green, but without the final 'e'.

We are very proud of our ‘e’

Ossie, I would agree with you there, very few Normans around today, more’s the pity.

A lovely tribute Osc.