Memories

Writing this blog has made my think of all the wonderful and sometimes sad memories I have of Daddy. I would like to share some of them with you, to remind you all that when though times are tough, we still have our memories to cling to and to remind us of better times.

Riding a Bike

We went to the park down the road from where we used to live in Rugby, Dad had taken the stabilizers off my little bicycle and was holding on to the saddle running beside me as I pedaled like the wind. I'd told him “Don't let go Daddy, hold on to me” “No baby I'm here I wont let go, I've got you” At one point I was talking to him and he wasn't answering me. So stupidly I looked behind me to see where he was, turns out he was no longer next me. He was stood a few feet away watching me. That's when I realised that he hadn't got me, and that I didn't know how to stop... So I stopped the only way I knew how, by falling off...

Socks

When I was little we had a rabbit (Socks). She lived outside in a cage. One day when we got home from school we went to check on her, but she was nowhere to be found. Dad told me that she must have jumped over the wall into next doors garden. I understand now how ridiculous that sounds. But at the time it didn't seem odd to me that a rabbit would jump 5ft over a wall to eat the overgrown weeds from Mr Next Door's garden. If Daddy said that's what happened it must be true. Turns out that she obviously hadn't hopped over to the neighbours but had in fact died. I am slightly embarrassed to admit that I only realised recently that that Socks couldn't have jumped that high and that Dad actually lied to me about the whole incident...

I am now wondering how many goldfish died and got replaced without us knowing... I'm surprised I don't have trust issues...

Nanny

Nanny was Mum's Grandmother. She died when I was 5.

The funeral was held in the church next door to my school. In the playground there was a gate that let you in to the cemetery. I remember being in the playground at break time, hearing everyone come out of the church. And me crying with my back against the gate, and then suddenly feeling Daddy's big strong arms picking me up over the gate and holding me tight. 

I think that then we went back to Grandma and Grandads but I'm not sure.

Bloody Nose

One winter evening we were at a fair and I was in the Dodgems with Dad, I can still hear us laughing as we bumped in to the other cars and feel Dad's arm around be to keep me falling out. Then it happened... Somebody bumped us from the back while another fool bashed into the front of us. I flew forward, hit my face on the wheel and had blood gushing from my nose, all over me, my clothes, Dad and the Dodgem...

And you wonder why I don't drive?!?!

Mercedes Benz, Joseph, Patricia, Evita...

I know so many songs (whole musicals even) off by heart that I've no room left from trivial things like Pegasus (Pythagoras) and that other dudes (Thales) theories. Can anyone honestly say that they have used them in real life other than to help a child do their homework?! 

And that is from having spent so much time in the blue car, with all of us singing along to the same cassettes over and over for years!

Thinking about it I am not sure that “Patricia the Stripper” was a very appropriate song to be for young ears to be listening to but that is by the by. 

Whenever I hear “Oh Lord” I automatically start singing (in my head, in an American accent!!)

“Oh Lord wontchya buy me a Mercaadeezz Benz, My friends all drive Horses I must make Ameennns, work haaaard all my lifee with no heeelp from miii friiends so o Loooord wontchya but me a Mercaaadeezzz Bennz. Oh Lord wontchya buy me a coloured TV, Dying for Dolly is trying to find meee...” (I said I knew songs off by heart didn't say they were the right lyrics!!)

As soon as I hear certain words, it's like word association in my head and I suddenly start to sing, I sometimes wish that I lived in a movie and people would just pop out singing I think that would be awesome!!!

Memories – Memoriiiies all aloooone in the moonlight...

Tell me on Sunday – Tell me on a Sundaay please, take me to a zoo that's got chimpanzees...

Take that look of your face – Take that look face, I can see through your smile...

I could literally go on for for hours!!

Off roading

One of the many cars Dad had was a 4x4 Land Rover, and we were lucky enough to have a field just behind our house, with a lovely farmer who would let us go in his field when it had been harvested. You could take the back off the car, so we would sit on the boot as Dad drove around in the field, over bumps and lumps it was great.

I don't think anyone fell off the back...

Christmas Eve

You know the cliché that men do their Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve, well Dad is the reason that the stereotype exists. He used to take me into town with him after lunch, we would go and buy Mum a present then he would go to the pub with Dave and I would go and buy make up with Dave's daughter. In later years he just went to the pub gave me the money and made me buy Mums gift.

He has no idea how much of Mum's budget actually went into make up! “Oh no I didn't think to pick up the receipt, it was £30” (Make that 15, the rest is in my pocket hahahaahaha)

I could tell you so many more, but I think this post is long enough as it is.

Life brings tears, smiles and memories. The tears dry, the smiles fade, but the memories last forever.

XOXO