The Countdown Begins

Well it's not just one countdown that's beginning at the moment - there are about four.

Our second grandchild is due in early August but we've been told that there's a good chance that the baby will arrive before then so the clock's starting to tick and we're getting very excited about welcoming her into the world and are looking forward to buying a new pram and lots of the other little bits and pieces that go with newborn babies.

Countdown number two is really Paul and Josephine's; they're buying a new house in beautiful Rochester with it's fabulous Cathedral, super Norman castle and speedy rail links to central London. They haven't exchanged contracts yet but we're hoping it's imminent and, as soon as the paperwork goes through, we're looking forward to going down to see the place and help them to move in. If we could tie the date in with the sale of our own place we'll be able to get all the furniture we're giving them delivered - we won't have room for it in our new home. It will be sad to see it all go but we'll be really delighted to see it stay in the family.

I've been working more on the 3D computer program finalising the layout of the house we've bought in Suffolk and seeing where the furniture we have left will fit. We're now counting down the days to when we can start with the alterations. The engineer has done all the structural drawings and the architect has worked on the plans and submitted them to three builders and to the local planning people for building regulations approval so we just have to wait for the builders to come up with their quotes and the planners to give us the green light. The house is much smaller than where we are now but the layout seems to work well on the computer and we hope that we really can make a silk purse out of what is at the moment something of a sow's ear.


Our final countdown is to leaving Southport. We haven't pressed that button yet but when it starts I expect it to come very quickly. We're going to go and live in the caravan in St Andrews (and hopefully spend some time in Rochester too). Look out for my blogs as trailer park trash.


I had a long chat with Paul this morning. We spoke about his hugely successful creation, Sky1's "A League Of their Own" and I felt guilty for not having watched it recently (must do better as a parent). Anyway I was thinking that I haven't embedded many videos on here for a while so here's one from ALOTO. I'm a very proud Dad.

The Phone That Will Only Dial My Mother

So we're back from visiting the Scotish arm of the family and we head straight to the care home to check on Flo.

She's glad to see us back as she's had real problems with her telephone while we've been away.

'So what's the problem with it?' I ask.

'I dunno. It will only phone your mum. It keeps phoning your mum.'

Marion checks the phone out and it looks perfectly fine. To prove the point she takes out her mobile and dials Flo's number.

I answer and show Flo that it's all working okay.

We get home and a couple of hours later we're watching the telly. Marion's phone rings. "MUM" flashes on the screen. I answer.

'Hi Mum.'

'Who's that?'

'Its me. John. You dialled Marion's phone.'

'Oh. I didn't know who it was. I checked for phone calls and this was the last one.'

'Yes, remember when we came round and Marion phoned your phone to check it for you'

'No' and then a few seconds later. 'Yes'

'So it's Marion's phone. Nobody else has phoned you.'

'So that's okay then?'

'Yes that's okay.'

She rings off and we switch the tv back on (thank God for Skyplus and the pause button.)

Two hours later  Marion's phone rings. "MUM" flashes on the screen.

'Hi Mum'

'Who's that?'

'It's me. John'

'Oh John. Why am I phoning you?'

'I don't know.'

'It's this blinking phone. It was phoning your mum and now it keeps phoning you.'

'Are you sure?'

'Well I just came back to the room and checked the phone and this number had phoned'

'Yes it's Marion's phone. Remember when we visited you this afternoon and she phoned to check your phone was working okay.'

'Sorry. I phoned before didn't I'

'Yes. Don't worry'

So the phone that keeps phoning my mother is now the phone that keeps dialling Marion. Well at least it was until somebody else must have phoned Flo up and taken over the reins.

On a positive note, the medication that the consultant prescribed for Flo seems to be having a beneficial effect and she is not as panicky as she was before. Had this phone incident happened a couple of weeks ago she would have been extremely agitated and insisted that we drop everything and come round to check the phone immediately. She also seems to be more relaxed when we visit so, whilst it will never be pleasant seeing Alzheimer's run its course, at the moment it is a little less unpleasant.

Our granddaughter Rose certainly brightened the holiday season up for us. Father Christmas was extremely generous and she has enough stuff to keep her occupied until next year. Toys have changed so much since our children were babies but the simple things like a teddy and a rubber giraffe that squeaks are still enough to keep her amused. I had a wonderful couple of hours taking her for a walk in her pram. We had a great chat while I put the world to rights and she listened attentively and threw in a few raspberries and gurgles at appropriate points. When you are with a grandchild of this age it is extremely hard not to wonder what lies ahead for her and, without being too maudlin, how much of it you will see: first school, secondary school, exams. university, marriage, children. I hope to be around for as much of it as I can.

Sarah and Duncan prepared a fabulous late Christmas lunch for us on Saturday. Duncan poured us an aperitif and we were just about to sit down when his pager went off. He's a volunteer coastguard and, after a quick call to his base, he had to leave and unfortunately we had to eat without him. When he got back we had almost finished but he joined us at the table and told us the reason for his call out. It seems that somebody got a new metal detector for Christmas and managed to dig up some unexploded ordnance on the beach near Tentsmuir Forest - bloody metal detectorists eh!

We're off to the cinema now. Our first film of 2012 is The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. I'll let you know what we think. In the meantime there's a very funny review of it over on meandmybigmouth's blog

We didn't watch much telly over Christmas but for me the highlight was a repeat of last year's highlight.

Oh Frabjous Day

This post has been under embargo for a while but I'm finally free to share our news with the world.

I'm sure you're familiar with what this is and no, don't worry, Marion hasn't been to Italy to see one of those fertility experts. Our lovely daughter Sarah and her partner Duncan are expecting their first child and on July 13th (hope that's not a Friday), if all runs smoothly, our long standing wish to be grandparents will come true. I only knew my nana and grandad on my mum's side but when I was a kid I adored them, particularly my grandad,  and I hope that we can give our grandchildren the same fond memories of those daft old people who took us on days out and spoilt us rotten. Our grandchild (currently christened Pip by Sarah and Duncan) will be half Scottish so that means that we can look forward to some interesting cultural developments and perhaps some sporting arguments in years to come.


I know that it may perhaps seem not that big a deal as it happens to most parents in the long run but couples are leaving it longer and longer before they start families and I had visions of being too old to make much contribution to my grandchildrens' lives. But now, freshly retired and with the new hip on the mend, I hope that, together with Marion, I can give Pip the grandparental support that can make an impact on his or her life. Don't worry Sarah and Duncan, we live too far away to be overbearing and interfering but we're sure that you're aware of how much this means to us.  


So the best Christmas present ever. We are truly overjoyed. Does this mean that all those books and toys in the attic can be sent up to Scotland?


In America they've even got Grandparent's day and a cloyingly sweet song to go with it.




Which is all very nice. But I hope that we end up more like this nana and grandad.