Malcolm Alfred Rose

Dad lived a full and varied life; from humble beginnings in Ilford, by the 1960s he was working with bands such as The Who, The Rolling Stones, Jerry Lee Lewis and Manfred Mann. Recently, he told us how he regretted turning down The Beatles when they wanted twenty five pounds over what he was prepared to pay them.

When he gave up the life of an impresario to work as a financial advisor it gave him and Mum the opportunity to explore the world, from Australia to Iceland, scuba diving and enjoying adventures in jungles and the ocean….

Always a fan of showbiz, he produced and directed pantomimes starring big names such as Jerry and the Pacemakers, Freddy and the Dreamers as well as Les Dawson and Jimmy Jewell. He eventually went on to achieve his dream of appearing on television and film; working as an extra, a game show contestant and even taking small acting roles in films.

But without doubt, Dad’s greatest achievement was meeting and marrying Mum. Despite taking her out for a curry on their first date and ordering a vindaloo. They were together for over sixty years and their love and devotion for each other was tireless.

I want to say thank you

Two years ago I spent some time thinking about what Dad had taught me, his lessons in life. And I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to be able to tell him in a letter and I would like to share it.

Dad, I felt that I wanted to say thank you. I have been reflecting and thinking about you a lot recently and have come to realise that many of my core values are down to you and I wanted to say thank you.

Thank you for teaching me to be honest. I think you are the most honest person I know. You would never cheat anyone. You helped me appreciate the importance of doing the right thing, to be fair and generous to the people who work with, and for you, as well as to be trustworthy and compassionate.

Thank you for showing me the importance of being polite, accepting of people from different cultures and races, for talking to people in a friendly and courteous manner. I loved watching how you would talk to the nurses and the other hospital workers, showing your appreciation for the difficult job they do.

You gave me a taste of adventure, by traveling around the world and doing crazy things; diving, gliding, parascending. You have shown me how to face my fears and have a go, to explore the world and discover new things, about the planet and about myself.

You have taught me to work hard, aim high and be resilient, to be intelligent, reliable and have a sense of humour and to be optimistic even when times are hard.

For all this Dad, and much more, I want to say thank you.