Written and read by his daughter Sally Giles.

Colin Lindo Giles was born in 1928 in Clare South Australia.

In recent years Grandpa has been corresponding with a cousin who was researching the ‘Lindo’ part of the family. The Lindo’s were from London, famously, the birthplace of the Royal babies is in the Lindo wing of St Mary’s hospital in London. One of the Lindos emigrated to Jamaica over 100 years ago, he married a Jamaican woman who had many children, the family all had many children and one of the many descendants of this particular Lindo is Bob Marley’s guitarist!!!! Grandpa had a great laugh about that.

Grandpa’s mother was the eldest of 8 Moyle children and so Grandpa grew up in Clare with lots of family around him, lots of Aunties, Uncles, cousins and  his sister Molly. It was a simple uncomplicated upbringing punctuated by World War 2. Grandpa’s father who owned the fruit and veg shop in the main street of Clare volunteered as many did from country towns and went off to the Air Force, and served in New Guinea. On his return, he was given a job at ICI at Port Adelaide and the family moved to Largs Bay.

Grandpa started work as a meter reader for the Electricity Trust in the days of a ‘job for life’. He told stories about his days going around in a vehicle all over the  mid north reading meters. He moved up to be a linesman and then became an operator at the Osbourne Power Station, prior to Torrens Island Power Station being built.

Grandpa attended the Largs Bay Methodist Church Youth Group and there met a lovely young lady called Josephine Wood who he wooed and married in 1950 when he was aged 22.

Grandpa then took his bride and went on some adventures working in different locations. His first child, David, was born at Le Fevre hospital in 1953, and Grandpa packed up his young family and went to live in King Island. His next child, Stephen was born while living in King Island. Then the family moved to Mount Beauty Victoria and my Mum Sally was born, then the family packed up again and went to live in Shepparton where Trudy was born in 1961. The family then packed up and moved to Morwell in the La Trobe valley, where Grandpa worked at the Hazelwood Power Station, which has recently been de-commissioned.

Grandpa then moved back to Adelaide, bought a house in Coral Sea Road, Fulham, got a job at Torrens Island and worked there until he retired at age 58, in 1986. Grandpa worked in the same industry for his entire working life, raised 4 children, bought a house, and retired with a nice superannuation, a dream for many these days!! When he retired he continued working for AESOP, a voluntary organisation, in a couple of Pacific countries teaching about Power Stations.

Grandpa was a man with many hobbies, some of which I will mention, at various times, he played a Tuba in a brass band, grew gladioli, did leatherwork, sang in the Church Choir, was passionate about Esperanto ‘the Universal Language’, he had many Esperanto pen friends all over the world., he painted acrylics and was a member of the Henley and Grange Art Society, he exhibited and sold paintings during his retirement. Grandpa loved the University of the Third Age at Henley Beach and was a regular attendee for many years. When Mum got him his first IPad, the first thing he looked up was information on the French Revolution so he could do a presentation for the History Group at U3A.

Grandpa loved Poetry and recited poetry whenever the opportunity arose, His favourites were ‘the sentimental bloke’ and ‘the Man from Snowy River’, which starts

‘There was movement at the station for the word had passed around
That the Colt from old Regret had got away’

Grandpa always did voluntary work, at the Fulham Uniting Church, he cooked at Meals on Wheels, and Grandma and Grandpa worked tirelessly for many hours at the Red Dove cafe at the Royal Show, for the Uniting Church, fund raising, selling home made food.

Grandma and Grandpa had many lovely holidays in Australia and overseas, and were well travelled,

Grandpa suffered greatly when his son, Stephen,  died, but loved Stephens children Michael and Tanya, and loved to see them go on to start families of their own.

I remember my Mum taking me to the Show and we would always visit Grandma and Grandpa at the Red Dove Café and Grandpa would be slicing cold meat, and Grandma would be working at the cafe and they would get me some scones made by the lady who won the prize for the best scones at the show, who also worked at the café, no Dagwood Dogs for me at the Royal Show!!

Grandpa loved all his grandchildren and followed their progress and travels closely and with great pride. He particularly loved the success that Stephanie and Lucille had in their schooling and University studies. He loved Alice, Samuel, Bridget and Eric and always took an interest in their lives and travels.

Grandpa had a long, happy and interesting life, his dearly loved wife, Josie, died in 2012 and this was a loss he never really recovered from. He suffered ill health and died at Wesley House Nursing Home at the age of 89. He will be remembered for lots of things and his legacy is one of faithfulness, family values, balance and variety in life and the knowledge that best things in life are not things!

Goodbye Grandpa. Rest in Peace.

Sally