Before moving to England in 1957, John learnt that his grandfather was at death's door and went to see him. It turned out that Grandpa would survive his wife to live in a second marriage for another six years. On John's return to South Africa in 1961, when he introduced his young wife to Oupa Johannes, the old gentleman of 90 apologised for his English: "I have not spoken it since the Boer War."
John considers it a privilege to have had such a grandfather.