We were neighbors of Scott in Bath. We had tried to purchase 21 Calton Walk when it first came on the market, but it was taken back off before we could do so. So we bought the house we still live in, a few doors up the walk. We met Scott when he bought the house and always enjoyed chatting with him.
Here are some recollections of our times with Scott:
We invited Scott round and told him our computer was playing up to which he readily agreed to fix it saying ‘This will cost you a load of money!’… then quick as a flash
‘OMG look at your faces’
‘Don’t worry it’ll cost you just an invitation to dinner… that should cover it!’
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Another occasion he invited Doris to accompany him and two lady friends to a restaurant. When Doris asked why do you need me he answered to speak to the other one when I’m trying to chat up the girl I’m really interested in! Doris never backward to come forward complied said it felt a bit strange but that’s Scott for you.
We bumped into him on another day in Holland and Barrett where he regaled me as to the benefits of eating kale.
‘It’ll scrub your insides pointing to my midriff area ‘ In front of a roomful of customers I felt like a rabbit in the headlamps.
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On his return visit 10 years later just before Christmas he told me ‘you’re the only guys, I remember’ several times… he also mentioned that a neighbour, a lady living behind him, had fallen out with him and was gunning for him (I didn’t take him seriously at the time and just thought he was exaggerating)
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At Christmas time we invited Scott to join us for Christmas lunch but he ducked the invite on the day phoning in at 10 am and crying off saying he wasn’t up to it. We cajoled him but he didn’t change his mind, sadly. Later he said he spent Christmas alone.
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He asked Aaron the gardener to get rid of his bank statements and once Aaron had done so was incredibly anxious and repeatedly checked if he, Aaron, had done the job properly and that they had been destroyed beyond recognition.
On another occasion he was angry with Aaron because he ran over the time he parked his car on Scott’s parking slot … only by minutes.
He also went ballistic on an occasion when Aaron had not filled in with chips to the very limit of the garden. Aaron nearly walked off the job, I believe, but carried on because he just put it down to Scott being an incredible perfectionist.
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On the last occasion Doris bumped into Scott in Marks & Spencers, Scott was at pains to apologise for his unkempt appearance … His basket was full of special food ready for his microwave, she noted.