Suddenly I get it – effective Twittering is just like my late Father in Law…..
Picture this: The Longhair and I are in a lift in the Beacon Isle, Plettenberg Bay. We are accompanied by my late Father in Law, Neil Villet, and two Sandton Kugels talking in that distinctive nasal whine. Neil, in his best bedside manner (as in a Doctor’s bedside manner!) turns to the one and says; “Shame, dear do you have a cold?” to which the kugel replies whilst batting her mascared eyes, flinging her bottle bought tawny mane and jingling her gold; “Naaaw, I juss talk like dis.” Result – the Longhair and I dissolve into fits of laughter and, to this day, we will never know if Neil was being serious or taking the mickey out of the nasal twins. We like to think that it was his wicked sense of humour.
More examples: Woe betide the person who even looked at Neil when we were walking along the beach as he would stop and engage them in conversation. In a restaurant he would travel from table to table asking people how they were enjoying their food before ordering his own choice – I often wonder if people thought he was moonlighting as a Maitre De as the Surgeon business was a little bit slow.
Anyway – Neil would have loved Twitter as it would have given him a chance to pick up on conversations and engage with random people – although the 140 character limit may have frustrated him a bit.
Neil in his element – candles, food, family and some wine. After the early loss of my father Neil became a friend and father to me – sorely missed.
