Brain-juice started leaking from my head the other day. Not a lot, but sufficient for me to consult the GLW and commission a cursory head examination. The problem, she informed me, was that I had managed to get the top of my head sun-burnt and a blister had developed which had subsequently burst (if you are reading this over your breakfast fry-up I do apologise). "How could this be!", I declared indignantly, "my head never gets sun-burnt it is protected by my fine head of hair". "Sit down, dear husband, I need to tell you something", the GLW responded, her voice infused with almost forty years of matrimonial fondness.
Later I was reflecting on the strange realisation that I might be going "thin on top", and reviewing the evidence. My father had a good head of hair until he was in his 90s, and so did most other members of the family. My brother might be a little sparse (he cunningly wears a hat in his profile picture) but I have always put this down to his spending too many years in the tropics. I turned to my collection of old family photographs to find further evidence of the Burnett's hirsute traditions, and, whilst most family members have the look of unkempt forest gibbons, I did come across this photograph of a gent with a dangerously exposed pate. According to the reverse of the picture, the suggestion is that it is a certain Mr Burnett of Westow, near York, but I suspect that he may belong to another branch of the Burnett family altogether.
So this post is, in fact, an appeal to anyone out there who has a Mr and Mrs Burnett of Westow, Kirkham Abbey, York, in their family tree. It is the reverse of the normal appeal you get from genealogists - in this case, please get in touch as I hope we are not related.
Had to smile reading this. Just the other day I had to confess that women suffer the same problem, only we call it thinning hair. Please God it doesn't reach the baldness stage. Hope you find Mr Burnett!
ReplyDeleteIt's all the travelling in hot climes - cover your bonce!
ReplyDeleteUnkempt forest gibbons? Some good chuckling going on over here.
ReplyDeleteThat's some title and an interesting post on the subject.
ReplyDeleteYour title was quite clever, and the last line of your post was a killer!
ReplyDeleteMost of my uncles on my mother's and father's sides of the family lost most of their hair fairly early (or should that be "relatively" early?), but when my father died at the age of 52, he still had all of his. I'm 54, and although I seem to have a bit more of a forehead than in my youth, I still have a thick mane. So far, I should add...
Welcome to the club, Alan. I started getting a bit thin on top in my early 30s. I have friends who have shown distinct signs of paranoia over balding. And we both know the ridiculous efforts made by some chaps, to cover up - 'comb-overs' that are works of art. Funnily enough, losing my hair has never bothered me in the slightest.
ReplyDeleteI see the similarities in the facial features of the vintage Mr. Burnett and yourself, Alan. (love unkempt forest gibbons)
ReplyDeleteWell ,In The Olden Days They Always Seemed To Wear Hats so nobody knew & you were protected.
ReplyDeleteThinking About It.....Whenever I see blokes in old photos with their bowlers/flatcaps/trilbies /knotted hankies/etc I often wonder if they wore them in bed too!
I guess you'll have to join the Gentleman Hat Club! :)
ReplyDeleteAnyone intelligent would know, it's obviously Sir Robert Burnett. He makes Vodka and Gin, naturally.
ReplyDeleteOh, by the way, brain juice comes down the nose, if there's a leak, so next time your nose runs, check for brain cells....
Hair or no hair, that will always be the question!..But, this gent does seem to favor your side of the family....seems to me anyway....and I'm so glad to be reading your uplifting posts again!
ReplyDeleteOh no! Sorry to hear that the family hair might be looming!
ReplyDeleteGreat to read a bit about your holiday in the USA, I especially enjoyed the account of that coach trip!!
Alan, I have a great (eye witness) account of a young man who refused to take his ball cap off for his license photo. Long story but he finally relented with this line, "God dang it everybody else in my family had sense enough to lose their teeth but not me, oh no not me, I had to go and lose my hair." Note I was the eyewitness and if I could convey our Kentucky mountain accent via print you would be helpless about now.
ReplyDeletedon't blame genetics, just blame it on global warming!! put it to some good use... and wear your hat!!
ReplyDelete:)~
HUGZ