Tribute photo for William Bill GOULDING
Live music in Reading 2011!
Left by Daisy Goulding:
22/04/2020
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Tribute photo for William Bill GOULDING
Moseley Folk Festival 2018
Left by Daisy Goulding:
22/04/2020
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I have uploaded some photos of Grandad and myself which I will now cherish forever; I particularly enjoy the one where he wears with a sticker saying "B....s to Brexit!"; I knew then, and now more then ever, that not many people of my Grandad's age are that way inclined! I recently posted this picture on my personal social media account with the following message: "My Grandad was a passionate Communist and dedicated trade unionist who loved Jeremy Corbyn, Tony Benn, equal pay, the power of the trade union to make working conditions better, Guinness (not the ice cold variety - travesty), the craic, Dublin, Irish folk music, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, France/anything French (much more than anything the UK!), sea bass, bouillabaisse, amaretto, tuna melt paninis, naval history, the sea, travelling anywhere and everywhere, singing (which he was very good at) and his family. He was very frail towards the end but I am sure he was very happy to see massive effort everyone has, and continues to do, in stopping this terrible virus".

I was pleasantly surprised at how many people contacted me (some I hardly know!) after I posted this, to express how much it resonated with them and also how wonderful he sounded, which he was, especially to me. I am very very proud to have had a Grandad, more than ever now, who was so progressive in so many ways with strong likes (and dislikes!) which to me shows his strength of character and I hope I have inherited at least some of these qualities. On a more personal level, I still can't believe he has gone and that I will never hear the joy in his voice when saying "Hello Daisy!" each time I saw him. I loved him very much, and still do, and I will miss him always.
Daisy Goulding:
22/04/2020
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Tribute photo for William Bill GOULDING
Dad in the 1980s
Left by Catherine Goulding:
21/04/2020
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Tribute photo for William Bill GOULDING
Left by Catherine Goulding:
20/04/2020
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Tribute photo for William Bill GOULDING
With his children, Cathy and D
Left by Karen GOULDING:
20/04/2020
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The funeral is on Friday 24.4.20 at 4.30pm. While flowers are welcome we would like people to consider as an alternative a small donation to a fund for celebrating Bill's life at a later date. Details of this are not finalised so please contact the family after the lockdown.
If you choose to send flowers they can be ordered through the funeral directors Mortons, 705 Bristol Road South Birmingham B31 2JT. Or flowers ordered elsewhere can be passed to Mortons on the day of the funeral. Many thanks.
Catherine Goulding:
18/04/2020
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Tribute photo for William Bill GOULDING
Christmas Day 2019
Left by Catherine Goulding:
18/04/2020
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My grandfather was a constant presence when me and Daisy, my sister, were growing up, so I have too many memories of him to mention here. However, I can say his unfailing support and attention unifies them all. I have a lot of friends far less fortunate than me; growing up without the love of dependable parents, let alone the love of a dependable grandparent. I'm so lucky to have had--and continue to have--the love of both, and in such abundance. Whether he was coming to pick us up from school, sharing his wisdom during a REAL chat at the back of a social gathering, or so generously taking me and Daisy for a short sojourn to Ireland or France, he took us both under his considerable wing and helped us grow, imparting those special Goulding qualities--humour, integrity, humility--that he gifted to all his family. Not least to David, his son and my father, whose example I embody.

When I was very young, I remember how excited I would get when my Grandad was on his way, in whatever capacity. As I grew older, the excitement at his arrival was tempered with a kind of respect; I came to understand some of his complexities, no longer just "grandad," but more than that. I learnt of his background, his career, his beliefs, and he became, not only a guardian and confidante--second only to my parents in that respect--but a source of learning and insight, a man who had lived a life without compromise, and was steeped in a unique wisdom because of it. He provided me with a well of learning, something I can always reach for in testing times, such as these, and it's something I'll pass down to my own grandchildren, perhaps, one day. And that was Grandad's special kind of love. A love for knowledge, a good song, a good joke, a good opinion. A love you never doubted. Not necessarily the most expressive kind, but a love he was fearless with, most of all for his friends and family. And that's Grandad's gift to us all.
Josh Goulding:
18/04/2020
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Tribute photo for William Bill GOULDING
Merchant Navy days(Dad centre)
Left by Catherine Goulding:
16/04/2020
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