Gilbert and Sullivan, The Yeoman of the Guard, Ruddigore, "Highlights"

This was probably my grandfathers. Not the Crab, he was my dad's dad. This belonged to my mom's dad Sidney, I'm guessing. He was big into Gilbert and Sullivan. He was a good guy too and I didn't get to see him enough either. I can still hear his voice. He had a distinctive voice, a little gravelly. And a New Jersey accent, but different than my dad's accent. He grew up in Newark. His parents were Russian Jewish immigrants. That probably contributed to his accent. He kind of sounded like Gandalf from the old Hobbit cartoon. That's the closest I can describe it. Slightly higher pitched than that, but gravelly, full, melodic. Like banging on a coffee can with a little bit of sand in it. A... particularly melodic coffee can.

I don't know man, I'm not a professional writer. The point is, I can remember his voice. If I concentrate I can hear it in my head. I remember how he smelled too. I don't know what aftershave he used but I can still remember how it smelled. Aqua Velva probably, or something like that. Old English Leather. I don't know. Something old men use.

Sidney was in the airforce in World War II. Only it wasn't the airforce then, it was the Army Air Corps, or something like that, I think. Anyway he was on a bomber crew. They got shot down over Romania. He survived and spent the rest of the war in a POW camp hoping that the guards never figured out he was Jewish.

After that he moved back to Jersey and sold carpet until he retired.

Anyway that's about all I can remember about him, and this probably belonged to him.