Simon
My younger brother, Simon, is in a bad way. I saw him last evening and this morning too - in the village where we were both born. He lives in a humble old cottage just across the road from our mutual birthplace. The rented one bedroom cottage is badly in need of modernisation. In fact, the owners have given Simon notice to leave because they want to proceed with vital improvements which will see the interior completely gutted. But that is not his number one issue right now because, to put it bluntly, his very existence is now in jeopardy. For a few years, Simon has worked with a team of sub-contractors on the water supply infrastructure - maintaining small reservoirs and enacting vital repairs here and there. He was still doing this work last December when he noticed that he was having trouble swallowing food and keeping it down. He has often referred to "acid reflux". I met with him in the motorway services off the M18 just before Christmas to exc...
