This is a tribute to Robert, written by Thomas Husbands
I remember how I first met Robert.
I first saw him with Anne and Robert one day on there cycle ride around the village, I was working in the field with my cousin and brother at the time and I remember as they went past i said 'Hi' and not 'Bonjour' as I should have being in France. I thought Anne said 'Hi' back but I wasn't sure! They were cycling so it was very brief and I couldnt think quick enough on the spot and as I said, i was working.
My mum however was furthur up the field and I noticed they had stopped to talk to her about something, they were there a little while before going off on there cycle ride again. I thought nothing of it at the time, just some more French people interested in the quirky garden maybe...so I carried on with work.
My mum later that day told me that the people that stopped were an English speaking couple that lived very locally and have done for many years, she added that they noticed us three young lads working in the field and mentioned to her about some work they wanted help with on there house down the road and also that we have been invited to come and meet them properly to discuss it all.
She said that Anne's son was here with his girlfriend for a few more days and that we are all similar ages so we should come over to meet them aswell before they go again. They also told her they would pay us per hour, which was awesome as I wanted some extra money at the time, working on my place was limited and I was heading off to Switzerland in the winter. I remeber I was super keen for the work but also nervous as I didnt know what the work was going to be and how skilled they would expect me to be. I remember my mum being very happy about meeting them, she said to me that they were our kind of people and that I would like them and that we should definitely go to meet them. So we did.
We went round there place a few days later, it was literally a few minutes in the car but it was somewhere I had never been or even noticed before. It was a lovely old farm house tucked up a little street away from everywhere.
We got greeted by everyone out in the garden as they were sat out there already, full of great energy and smiles all round. It was very comforting and relaxing meeting them, not as it can be sometimes for the first time meeting people. So we sat down to have some snacks and a few beers while talking and getting to know each other and it all seemed to flow so easy, everyone had common ground with someone else there it was like designing, building, fashion, tattoos, skiing, travelling, moving to France, people history, interests, there was just one thing after another that we were talking about and we didnt stop for a while. Everything spoken about with lots of passion and excitement.
I remember leaving that evening so excited to have met everyone, so excited looking forward to our future with our very like minded, new friends. We hadn't met anyone like this in the 3-4 years we have been there and it was such breath of fresh air to know we had similar people close by.
We did actually end up working on there house most of the summer, until they left to go back to America for the winter. Over summer is where I really got to know Robert quite well as we were working there most days for a few hours. He was super intelligent and he along with Anne knew everything there was about construction and property development you could. It was inspiring from the start I felt, I would go there everyday and learn something interesting and new. He was a great teacher and a perfectionist in what he did, who better to learn from than him. He was always so patient and never seemed angry or dissatisfied with what I did if it wasn't of his standards but he would show me the correct way of doing it calmly and with every detail. I was so lucky to have someone who was prepared to help me at the same time as paying me, it is such a pleasuring knowing I learnt the endless things and did all those new projects there I wouldnt have know how to before or without him, so I have taken alot from that one summer with him. Not just from what I learnt from him but about him as well.
We shared a love for skiing of course. I am a ski teacher and he has been skiing all his life on and off. We were already planning a trip to go and ski together, and for me to come and work in America some time. I got the feeling that he was very good at skiing by how fondly he spoke about it, I wish we got to ski together just once would have been cool. I know I will be thinking of him when ski next. He had a long exciting life full of the craziest stories and history, I was always happy to listen to them as they were always so full on. I can imagine by the time your his age you would have them stacked up, i cant imagine the things he didnt tell me haha. Reading these tributes was lovely to discover even more.
I remember him telling me once about how he was going to build a property on a piece of land that he bought for a really cheap price, that he wanted to get a house built on it and make money of of it, he said that it took so long to get all the permissions and planning done that he actually got a very good offer for the land in the meantime and took that instead, regardless of the effort it took to get the plans and permissions. He used that money to by two little flats I think, then slowly over the years rented and bought another, then another and so on and so until he was set up for life basically. He made alot from not alot.
He was so funny too, I have the best memory of him round our house for homemade pizza, that he loved by the way(he went on to make them himself)and it was dark at the time, we were outside cleaning the table, a little jolly. All I hear is Robert in his American accent say "awwwww man, I put my hand in the hummus". He thought it was the crisp bowl he said and just grabbed it. I am laughing so hard as im writing this- thinking of that time is my favourite memory we shared, it won't ever be forgotten im so sure of that.
To sum it all up meeting and knowing Robert was lovely. Always a buzz and a joy around him and he helped me in every way he could from the first time we met. He was a true human and I believe he had a wonderful life.
Rest in peace Robert.
God bless.
Love Tom.
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