Diary of a Gay Dad. I am a full time dad to five young children.

The school gate has been, well, ‘The school gate’ really. Every day the children have come down stairs at around 6am, all have shouted quite a bit over the week, and getting them into their school uniforms has had its moments.

That aside, this extra free time has seen me doing general chores, Jammin’ of course, a workout with the fitness guy Adam and a fair bit of baking and cooking. Our usual fare – all tasty of course. Another curry on Monday, Italian on Tuesday, all a bit ‘samey’ really.

Oh! we made chocolate rice crispy cakes and I’ve just pulled another peach cobbler from the oven! Last weeks rendition was a traditional British one with milk bread scones on top, but this weeks was the Americanised version where you melt butter in the baking dish, add the milk, flour, sugar batter – then finally pour over your peeled and pulled peach flesh with all the juices. Do not stir. Looks amazing.

Still getting used to Aaliyah’s ‘mullet’. I think we will have to have the hairdresser have a look in at some point. Tara and Amritsar might just get away with it, let it slowly grow out over time.

Preparing for bedtime. They all had a bath last night, so a bit more relaxed tonight. Happy Days…

Not amazing lookers – but these cookers make the best pectin. Full of vitamins and once boiled down, these apples from the orchard make the smoothest apple pulp. Just quarter them and immerse in boiling water (no peeling). 15 minutes later, strain, mash and pass through a sieve.

I’ve plenty of frozen fruits in the freezer, so just for now I am bagging up and placing alongside the pulped plums, peaches, strawberries, black currents and frozen raspberries for later pursuits.

It is with some (obvious) dismay that I write my diary entry tonight! I had lined up several possible titles! How about lunatic fringe, hair raising, or indeed, on the fringe of things – the possibilities are endless! Okay, somehow Tara had smuggled up to their bedrooms, a pair of child safe scissors.

I am absolutely devastated with what she has created in the aftermath of Tara’s idea of ‘a quick trim’. I wouldn’t mind so much, but they have all seen the hairdresser in the last few weeks, giving them all the perfect haircut.

It began yesterday morning with my putting the girls hair up into ponytails for school. Something seemed odd! I just couldn’t put my finger on it – but all five children seemed to have more of a fringe than I remembered! However, tonight the penny had dropped and I realised that something was indeed, very out of kilter.

Now, a parents power of deduction, coupled with question time for them all soon led to finding out who the culprit was.

I really do hate telling Tara off as she is usually the most perfect angel, just how do you teach an angle to be good and to scrutinise when they have done something that is wrong?

She is certainly no fallen angel, she accepts when she has done wrong, and will certainly never reoffend after her lessons have been learnt.

I am just so unhappy that all of our children’s fringes will all take several months to grow out.

Caleb, Aaliyah and Thor were happy participants. Amritsar said however that Tara sneaked up on her whilst she was reading a book in bed.

Tara cut part of her own fringe to one centimetre. Maybe two years to realign her beautiful wavey locks. Her job on Amritsar, might just take one year (she cut her fringe by several inches). Thor would benefit from a number two crew cut to even up the length. Caleb had the least damage inflicted, but poor Aaliyah, her hair was the slowest to grow of all of our children. Yet she is now going to have to wait, at least another year to return to her beautiful long blonde ringlets, that were her hair and certainly added to her outward beauty.

I do so hate being upset with Tara. She is a ‘Big Sister’ and should know better. I really am very upset with the situation…

Thank you to friends Victoria and Glen and daughter Fi for making last weekend such a great one. This Brighton duo (3 children) are an absolute pleasure to see. Just Fi was in tow as the other guys had their own stuff going on, but I think she got on with our girls pretty well – you know, they all coordinated well and didn’t scream too loudly whilst running around like crazies. It was to Brighton John and I ventured earlier in the year for the wedding of Glen and Victoria. Saturday night was another excuse to cook curry for Dadda (5 in number) and on Sunday Daddy insisted on cooking the leg of lamb dinner (I cant remember the last time). It was well executed, thank you John, though I had to lend a hand to magic up a nut-roast as both Victoria and Fi are Vegetarians.

Easy recipe for you now and one I hope Victoria will have a go at as she seemed to enjoy! I used cashew nuts, but peanuts are fine. Also I chose dried mushrooms from my provisions cupboard as they absorb liquid well when it comes to cooking in combination with ingredients that are better left with a dry consistency, such as nut-loaf or rissoles (nut balls). Just mince 2 or 3 onions in the food processor, leave aside. Do the same with the cashew nuts, then the mushrooms (fresh are fine). You don’t need measurements, just play it by ear. A little more or less of this or that is fine! I would only add that you shouldn’t overdo the breadcrumbs. I toasted 2 pieces of sliced bread and left to cool, then blitzed the two slices into oblivion, that was ample for a medium sized loaf for four. Mix all of the dry ingredients together with a little salt and pepper, a little water or stock and pack into an oiled loaf tin and cook at about 160 degrees for 35 minutes. Come to think of it – walnuts really rock in this recipe too.

Okay, we drank way too much on Saturday night, but you have to do that when you see old friends and the children are snuggled up in bed don’t you?

Sunday saw us all maraud the woodlands nearby. The weather was great and the dogs all began to get on well. Did I mention that Remus’s son Fenton is part of Victoria and Glens family. Gracie being a bit of a bully at times, wasn’t the nicest of sisters to poor old Fenton. But I think they ended the weekend on good terms!

Before we knew it – home time! Thank you so much guys. Let’s not leave it too long before another catch-up. Xx

Well, what with me scuttling around, trying to complete the contents of our not so famous five’s ‘Baby Boxes’, today saw me clearing out the shelf of one of our wardrobes. My mission was to thin out all of the physical items that were part of our family’s early experiences.

It seems that from both India and Thailand, I kept every single receipt, invoice, airline boarding pass and document. The important documents that we needed in order to gain British passports and Exit Visas are already filed away for all of our children, but all of those little incidentals, passport photos, bits of stationery, you name it, were surveyed and sorted by myself today!

All of those monthly accommodation invoices – bin. All of those small trinkets – priceless. I had hotel keycards for the Novotel in Juhu Beach, where I started this journey. Then on to the Marriott Executive Apartments in Powai, Bombay (there were other unmentionable accommodations) and then onto the Marriott apartments in Bangkok, Thailand. Nothing on that score from Nepal however as we stayed in pretty regular apartments, dare I say at relatively overinflated prices! Indian, Thai and Nepalese mobile Sim Cards were all there, Bangkok sky train tickets, in fact So many small reminders and memories of those ‘Eighteen Moons’ spent far away from home had certainly mounted up over that time.

There were also documents reminding me of the bizarre and not so happy moments. I felt really emotional when I uncovered the doctors prescription and the diagnosis letter that he wrote, in order to help my plea aimed at the Indian authorities in order to return home with Tara and Amritsar, stating that I was suffering from a deep depression! It did not help. Then there was the invoice and covering letter from the ‘Hiranandani Hospital’ (where the girls were born) at around 7 months into our prolonged stay in Mumbai, I had a breakdown due to the extreme circumstances that were holding us in stasis. Nothing to worry about I was told, just anxiety – a form of panic attack. It was a completely distressing and upsetting time. I was so grateful as to their diagnosis as I could not have imagined being side lined from the girls for a single moment in those, our darkest hours!

A lot of energised feelings today – and all I was looking for were the two pieces of material swatches that were our nanny Bharti’s old torn saris that swaddled our little babes as they slept in their early months of life. We have seen the girls in swaddling in various photographs and now these relative rags are destined to be a lifetime memory, but just for now, to be hidden away in the children’s ‘Baby Boxes’!

Certainly a day of mixed emotions and memories for me. Even a tear!

Not the best photo of our children, but you might just notice Thor clinging to my leg this morning. Shortly after, it was Daddy’s leg, then mine, then the breakdown happened. Then Caleb joined in, not wanting to enter the cloakroom area where Aaliyah had very happily skipped to a moment before, full of smiles! Amritsar and Tara had very lovingly given us both massive hugs and kisses goodbye, then marched through the door to their welcoming teachers on the opposite side of the yard. By this time both Thor and Caleb were screaming. The other parents looked on, a few with looks of disbelief at the shenanigans that were in action. The reception year teacher and the TA did what they could to calm the situation. I indicated to John for a speedy retreat. Ellie, one of the friendly mums at the gate gave us a few words of support. Just day three of big school so I guess we are lucky that the separation issues waited until now. The boys generally settle after 10 minutes or so. I know they are in very safe hands. Now, I am away for the night and only hope all goes well for John tomorrow morning on the school drop. The children play up for daddy that bit more than me as they don’t see him as often and they bide for his attentions that much more! That coupled with Thor loving an audience. Hmmmm…

Well, I saw the personal trainer Adam again yesterday for a workout on a the terrace and thankfully I don’t ache too much today. Thinking about it, I have packed on a couple of kilos over the summer with all that ice cream and all. So I had better consider cutting down on the calories for a couple of weeks. Thinking of maybe fasting for a few days, but maybe after the weekend as we have friends staying over.

Happy Days…

I am sat here on the terrace. All is quiet, except for the tap, tap, tapping of the red headed woodpecker, from somewhere within the foliage of the red leafed plum tree. The school drop off done and John off to get a pane of glass cut to replace the broken window of the shed at the bottom of the garden, hidden behind the mass of overgrown rhododendrons. I am reminded of one of our little woodpeckers (the school house/team), Caleb. He was rather shy at the school doorway today. A little girl from one of the older years made it her place to talk to him and reassure him that school was a good thing! Praise to her! Now, Aaliyah on the other hand was straight in the doors and hanging up her coat and P.E. Kit. Thor, like Caleb was reticent, but found his confidence quick enough.

What is in store for me today? Well, the Aga is getting a good clean and I sorted out 2 bags of the random array of broken plastic children’s toys that are destined for the rubbish bin. Remus and Gracie are chilled on the sofa and daytime TV is doing its thing in the background. I leave it on even when I am not in the room to settle the dogs. I think that I have mentioned the way in which Remus strains to hear sounds that he can have a good bark to in response. In A general tidy up around the house. This new chapter in my life might need some fine tuning. It’s very quiet weekdays for me now what with all of the children now at school. It might take a few weeks to find my new direction. Though with not driving – I still feel a little housebound. I think they say ‘do what you know’! But I’m not sure what I do know anymore as the family has been everything these last 6 years..

I’m going to put the Aga back together now and make yet another new combo for ‘Dadda’s Jam’. How does ‘Plum and Calvados’ sound? Drizzled over Haagen Das vanilla ice cream with dark chocolate shavings maybe! Not for the children of course, rather Daddy and Dadda’s dessert tonight. Hmmmh – on that thought I will leave you…

An emotional day today as our three little ones, Thor, Aaliyah and Caleb joined Amritsar and Tara at ‘Big School’. We have been counting down the days for some time now. Both John and I did the school run on this momentous occasion.

Where did the time go? It seems to have been non stop for the last six years and today I find myself at odds with what to do with my new found freedom! Okay, things were busy on the off-go this morning, but as soon as John and I returned home, the house seemed unusually quiet. John is working from home these next two weeks what with Sindy taking 2 weeks leave, so he’s been busy with emails, the telephone and is presently on a conference call, but what about me?

The children have fledged the nest!

This morning I headed down the driveway and gathered blackberries, then I headed up to the orchard to pick apples for making pectin. You got it, Dadda’s Jam played a part of my new found free time. I don’t know if it is something I might start to focus on again as it has always been there these last few years since the little ones started preschool, but six hours daily need to be filled somehow!

The time today has flown by as it’s almost time to do the pickup, then a flood of stories of their first day. I’m really looking forward to that. I am also intrigued as to studying any changes in the little ones behaviour! I will keep you updated on that score in the coming weeks and months.

Back to Dadda and his jammin’. How does ‘Blackberry Cider’ Jam grab you? Alongside the already infamous ‘Blue Cherry Berry’ Jam! Woohoo, I think we have a winner!

Maybe more from me later, but for now I will leave you with a video of the children getting ready for this ‘Big Day’ event.

Before our ‘Big Family Life’ adventure, John and I would always have a Full English (at home) on either a Saturday or Sunday morning. We’ve not had one in absolute years. That is, until this morning! Bring it on. Mind you, a few extra pieces of crockery adorning the table nowadays!

This afternoon, the terrace finally fell silent. Not a single flapping wing in sight. The song thrushes have finally fledged their nest. This picture is not of the moment, rather one of the committed duo doing their best to protect and nourish their little chicks. Fitting I thought, what with our little ones about to do just that! The terrace won’t seen the same. But the lesson I learnt from this loving, mated pair, is that perseverance pays dividends.

That’s all I have to say tonight!

What with the girls at school yesterday and Sindy off for the morning, I found myself flitting between the little ones, television, art class and the Aga. We played various games throughout, but I find if I give 100% of my undivided attention for several hours to Thor, Aaliyah and Caleb, there’s usually a few more skirmishes than needs be! If I divide my time with all three and separate one on one, plus another project to think about, things run a lot more smoothly. And due to my love of cookery, that project usually ends up being dinner. Now, I’m not huge on baking, partly due to the fact that only 2 of the 4 ovens on the Aga actually work and the one fan assisted of the 2 isn’t that even in heat distribution!

Okay, I love my hob. That was all I had to work with from my time spent in Mumbai and that is where I perfected my ability to cook a damn good curry. I have spoken about cooking various curries throughout my writing of this diary and today I am just going to reiterate on last nights dinner for both the children and indeed ‘Daddies and Dadda’s Dinner’.

As ever you need to start with a good, tasty gravy (curry sauce). Blitz onions until pulp and fry in a little oil. Add your spices and cook out. My favourite combo is garlic, ginger, chilli, cumin, coriander leaf, garam masala or Madras mix, turmeric and salt. Add tomato purée, cook out further, then add stock (Knorr cubes are fine). You want a slightly thickened consistency and this I regulate purely with the volume of onion and tomato purée to stock! Cook for 30 – 40 minutes in a low heat or until the rawness of the spices have morphed into that sweetness and harmony of fragrant spice that is all a good curry should be!

Now come your options! I usually cook at least a litre of sauce and freeze some but yesterday I used the whole lot and made a feast. Pre-soaked yellow lentils were simmered with some of the sauce plus the addition of extra turmeric and garlic, cooked on the hob for maybe 2 hours. The longer you cook, the more sumptuous the lentils become. I always use a potato masher towards the end of cooking! Bombay potatoes are just way too simple! I tried a few recipes from the internet way back but settled on just steaming cubes of potatoes, cooling and placing in a freezer bag and covering with some of my curry sauce. Tie the bag, give it a squish and put it in the fridge. I actually put all of my curries in a freezer bag once cooled and lay them alongside each other in the fridge until service. It makes cooking multiple curries a real doddle to serve up. Just heat one after the other in a microwave before serving up! There’s usually a bit of squishing of the bags to regulate heat and some re-microwaving to get everything to the same temperature – but that’s half the fun of ‘curry night’. I also microwave the dry poppadoms for 20 seconds, turn, then a further 20 seconds. Perfection and so much healthier than shallow frying. But if you much prefer the taste of the fried, just use a pastry brush and lightly brush the dry poppadom with cooking oil on either side before microwaving.

Okay, the other dish’s last night were tandoori boned and skinned chicken thighs and mutter (pea curry). The thighs were 3 hours marinated in garlic, ginger, chilli, salt, lemon juice and a pre mixed tandoori spice mix. No red food colouring like your local Indian takeaway might use! The chicken was cooked in an oven dish covered in foil for 20 minutes, then dry heat for a further 15. Moist and tender was the result. The last main dish of mutter had a variation to it last night as I added green beans to the peas – cooked with some of Dadda’s curry sauce, a tin of tomatoes and a little extra salt – divine ‘Amrit’ (manna) indeed.

My rice was of course cooked in the microwave – see earlier entry for 100% perfect basmati rice and our nibbles on the side were homemade onion bhaji’s and pakoras. I’m pretty sure I have covered those in an earlier diary entry, but if not, do let me know – they’re so simple to make and so tasty. The children love them!

A meal fit for 5 little Maharajahs (and a daddy and a dadda).

So proud of the girls today. Decked out in their new school uniforms and looking the part. Model students, brimming with enthusiasm. I can only hope the same applies to the little ones on Monday morning. Overall their behaviour was good today. They met with the reception year teacher, her number 2 and the TA. They are all three great teachers and well accustomed to the needs and fancies of little people, so we are very confident that our three little people do us proud.

The girls had a great day with their new teacher and getting the low down on all of their friends summer holidays.

Did I say that I was really proud of them?

The children all upstairs in bed. Some sounds of activity, but settling down a bit since a few shouts up from me, reminding the girls that this is in fact a school night. Sindy has gone home, her final assertion of the day, laying out two school uniforms for the girls to adorn in the morning. John in London tonight, so just me sat here in the company of Remus and Gracie. They look relaxed.

I made a mushroom lasagna earlier, I thought about giving it to the children, but none of them are great lovers of mushrooms. To be honest, it would be wasted on them. A bechamel made with minced mushrooms and reconstituted home dried and fresh chestnut mushrooms make the ‘meat’ of the filling. By using a combination of both, you get a tasty and meaty texture. Baked with a cheesy topping, then liberally dusted with freshly grated Parmesan on service. Proper grown up lasagna I would say.

The guys spent a couple of hours at the park with friends this afternoon and all came home feeling ravenous. Home made smokey bacon burgers in a bun with fries was had for dinner and freshly picked raspberries (the last of) and blackberries picked from the brambles at the end of the driveway for dessert. I also spent some time in the orchard this afternoon picking a mass of apples that should make their way to becoming an apple and blackberry crumble tomorrow and of course, apple pulp for my next Jammin session.

An update in the morning regarding the girls setting off for school. I am so very proud of both Amritsar and Tara. Here’s looking to next Monday when we finally see all of our not so famous five, heading out to ‘Big School’. The end of an era for sure…

The girls return to school is tomorrow. The house is a buzz with activity. Caleb, Aaliyah and Amritsar have all had their hair trimmed and Tara and Thor are heading out a bit later this morning for their haircuts. At present Tara and Ritzy are opening the packaging of their new school shirts and our nanny Sindy is giving them a press with the iron in the kitchen.

The little ones are running a muck here in the living room. Thor has tired and is presently snuggling into my arm with his beloved MiMi as he has just stated that MiMi is tired.

Breakfast was a couple of rounds of Dadda’s jammy toast. Caleb is singing away using sounds, not words and Aaliyah is hugging both Gracie and Remus in turn. She really will be a vet or a kennel worker I think. Or is it still going to be a jockey like Tara! She has just finished entombing Gracie with all of the cushions and has informed me that Gracie is in her house.

The little ones start their ‘School Days’ on Monday. But for now they are enjoying their last days of the summer holiday. Aaliyah has just said ‘This is Rubbish’ to one of the CBeebies programs, Justin’s house and stormed out of the room, quickly followed by Caleb snacking his head on the large Onyx vase besides the TV after shaking his head to the theme music to the program. All rubbed better now!

Thor has just leapt up and is headed to the front door with Tara. Time for their haircuts me thinks!

Maybe more from me later!

What with my being in London last night, I returned to stories of theft! It would seem that at around 10pm last night, daddy asleep on the sofa, Tara and Thor descended the stairs and sneaked past the open living room door where daddy was snoozing and surveyed the kitchen for booty. The others were sleeping upstairs. Now, moving on to this morning, Aaliyah awoke to a squashed flat peach stuck to her bum (not pleasant) and Caleb devoured his surprise manna with gusto. Amritsar did the right thing and gave hers to our nanny Sindy to return it to the fruit bowl. Tara and Thor said that they were sorry for their actions…

The story continued on my return to the house and whilst cooking their dinner I looked for dessert options. The cupboard was bare on that front so I ventured into the housekeepers cupboard where lies (in a bag) several chocolate bars and a dozen mini packs of Haribo fruit gums. One of the 200g chocolate bars was open and half nibbled and four of the Haribo packets were empty of their contents!

It also seemed that Amritsar’s peach that was replaced in the bowl had also once again been stolen, no one came forward so at dinner tonight when it came to dessert, I placed the half eaten chocolate bar and empty sweet packets on the table. Tara and Thor were quite bold but both declined to comment on the matter. When I said that there would be no dessert tonight due to the situation, Caleb decided to hurl his drinking cup towards me. Thankfully it was both empty and he missed (due to his aim not being that great). ‘Okay, that’s it’ I exclaimed ”off to bed, everyone’! Lots of screaming and a few ‘sorry Dadda’s’ later, they all marched up to bed.

I don’t really have a ‘summing up’ of the situation. But I hope that my decision to send them up to bed resonates in the form of the guilty parties not doing it again as it does affect everybody – doesn’t it?

I have been a bit reclusive of late. For that I am sincerely sorry.

On the home front, the children are still enjoying their summer holidays and we are all back home in ‘The Shires’ after our fun, yet exhausting time in Cornwall. Week two in Cornwall was great, spending some of the week with friends Bridge and Des who also have twins and we rounded off our holiday with two nights in East Devon with friends Alistaire and Lorna. Last Thursday John and I feasted at ‘Steins’ in Padstow and we ate well at ‘The Pig’ at Combe on Saturday. The overall journey went without too much drama and our arrival home was greeted by two extremely excited Dalmatian hounds. They didn’t go to kennels as a friend Jo came in thrice daily to water, feed and run them. Much nicer for the dogs and also a little cheaper than the local kennels would have been.

The terrace has continued to be rather active on the bird nest front! I imagine the chicks will fledge the nest soon enough. Also, this years crop of tomatoes, courgettes and peppers are looking well and almost ready to pick. An awful lot of watering and attention for a single meal of ratatouille. I’m not sure that I will bother next year. Mind you I say this every year.

Haven’t slept well of late, I might just try a few early nights, though whenever I try that option, I always find it impossible to nod off!

Well, that’s it for now. I might try to cobble together a couple more holiday videos over the next couple of days. Over and Out…

You may have noticed that thus far I have limited my holiday diary entries to but a single postcard home. Rather than a daily entry that is ‘fly in the wall’, I have chosen to make a couple of videos in these last few days that show one or two of our activities from our beach holiday in Cornwall. This is a holiday after all isn’t it?

We are now on day eleven and the sun has eventually started to shine, those grey clouds have dissipated and the wind has finally been quelled. This day could well be pleasant summers day at the seaside!

Another family holiday video tomorrow then…

Six days into our summer holiday and I finally remember to send a postcard home…

Dear All

Weather has been foul. The greyest week on record I believe. The rain has not stopped. The visits to the beach have been daily, due to the holiday home being on the dunes, so we’ve seen our fair share of sand and pretty much moved into the shower. The little ones have been a bit destructive, a Chair was scraped badly, the dining table also, plus the living room wall was deeply scratched by Caleb. We ventured out to Barnstable today to Homebase to buy polyfilla and a spatula, plus a match pot of a light sage green paint, almost indescribable from the original. Fingers crossed on that score.

The children have been a little chaotic from time to time and have chosen that 9pm is their new bedtime. Of course, not being a ‘school night’ and being on holiday, we have allowed them a few extra freedoms.

Ice cream has been consumed by all on a daily basis. I’m looking in the mirror and noticing the bulge! I will need to re-engage with the weekly fitness regiment on my return to the Shires! John, like the children seems to have a very high metabolism, so he needn’t worry on that score.

I think that we will limit the little ones restaurant visits for a while, at least until they start to understand that screaming in shops and restaurants is really quite unacceptable! Really hoping ‘Big School’ turns around their tantrums, at least in public places where people deserve a pleasant time on the likes of their holidays. We all work throughout the year to deserve ourselves a good time when we set off on our hol’s to relax, don’t we?

Talking of relaxing, we have a few meets with friends next week and our nanny Sindy joining us for a few days so John and I can grab a little time out.

And I was just going to write, weather fine, missing you – wish you were here!

Nite nite.

You may recall my last diary entry. John lost his mother to a long fight with cancer. His sisters were with her throughout her fight, along with husband Michael. She passed ten days ago and John and I said goodbye to granny Hazel last Wednesday (one week ago) at a chapel in Dublin.

The little ones don’t really comprehend her passing, but Tara and Amritsar did deserve an explanation of why we needed to say goodbye to Granny Hazel.

I started with a chat with Amritsar on the terrace last Monday, the day after Hazel died. I opened the conversation with ‘We are all made of stars’. Now, I am not so religious and honesty, I find works best! She knew that granny had been unwell for some time and I thought the scientific approach seemed appropriate. Our matter remains and one day in another billion years I explained to Amritsar, we might just be another star! We went in and talked with Tara and I said that granny had died. Tara, the more empathetic of them cried. We hugged a lot, some more tears and hugs, followed by my suggestion that it might be appropriate to eat ice cream. The girls agreed and that was that.

I recall the passing of my own mother ‘Grandma Jean’ four years ago. Her memory and spirit is always with us. She visited us from Australia where she lived, when the girls were two years old. We have photos of the girls in pink dresses and my mother wearing multi coloured earrings. The girls were playing with those earrings in the pictures. We now have those earrings in the draw of the compendium (games cupboard) and every so often we play with them and he girls wear them and think of the pictures with grandma Jean.

We really must do the same with the memory of ‘Granny Hazel’. Forever in our thoughts.