Ernie was my father's younger brother, and the two seemed always to have had a good relationship.
Ernie ran his own small building business for many years, and my father worked for him sometimes. This was a financial lifeline for my parents at times as they were always on a limited income.
Ernie and his wife Kay lived in Birmingham, not far from us and we had quite a lot of contact. They later moved to North Wales and ran a B&B for some years, before returning to the Midlands to live in Bayston Hill, near Shrewsbury. My parents subsequently moved to Bayston Hill too, though my mother died suddenly soon afterwards.
Ernie and Kay had two sons, Clive (with whom I am still in touch) and Paul, who had long-term back problems, and died unexpectedly in the early 1980s. I don't think the cause was ever fully understood. He would only have been in his early 30s.
Ernie suffered from pain in his shoulder for decades, the result of his building work, but was uncomplaining. I remember both Ernie and Kay as being very kind gentle people.
Ernie died of bladder cancer I think in the late 1990s, and Kay a few years later after a series of strokes.