Hi Beki,
Always lovely seeing our parents as real people. Your mam looks so young! Wish I had sat with mam and chatted about when she was young. She loved talking about going out dancing and making her outfits (she was a whizz with the old Singer). I wish I had looked at all the old photos with her instead of for her service. Just so upsetting. If only we could turn back time. I’m sure we’d all be living in the past.
Thank you for sharing. I’ll have to post some of mam when she and dad got together. I avoid going to the tribute site because I get so upset, seeing her smiling at me. But I’ll try. xxx
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Hi Debbie,
It is so wonderful seeing everyone’s photo’s. Snapshots of love and family. Memories to cherish. I love the fashions too. Mam made a lot of her clothes to go dancing. Very glam. You do look very cheeky. I remember being 9. I locked everyone in the house at my birthday party while I kissed the boy in the garden. Didn’t know they’d all gone upstairs to watch us!
Will post some of mam and dad when they were young. x
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Hi Debbie,
Wow, love all the pics. Great photo’s. Was looking forward to seeing them. Shame you couldn’t take them inside. But the gardens are amazing. Imagine the team they must have to maintain it all. I always think it must be a privilege to be a gardener in an historical setting, to become part of it’s workforce. Glad to see the display too of the old machinery. Captures the essence of real manual labour. Glad you had a sit down in the shade of the stables. You will have needed cake with all the walking in the heat. We always had a coffee and a scone at the garden centre as a treat.
I always want to see the bits I’m not allowed to see inside. Was there any 4 poster beds? I love the sumptuous fabrics of the interiors. What were the colour schemes?
Oh, bless them! Obviously mam didn’t pack their bags! I would love to feel cool at night. Wake up absolutely drenched.
Love the little cat. He must be their mascot. Thought he’s be fatter with all the titbits he’ll be scrounging.
I’m so pleased you enjoyed your day out. You’ll see from my post it took my about 4 hours to get round the garden with a stool because I have so little energy. But I did it. Going to be really hot tomorrow - 32 - so hope to get an early start. Just noticed the time! Have to get my little Porsch in for her tea!
Will post some pics of mam and dad when they were young tomorrow.
Lots of love xxx
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Going to do this quickly because I know if I don’t I’ll get really upset looking at mam. So here she is:
and mam and dad as a young couple.
Their wedding day (mam made her own wedding dress).
My Christening
Lovely pic of my old auntie Elsie with mam and Grandma and my sister who went back up north to live. I always hated being dressed like twins because I was the oldest.
.
My lovely mam
I can’t do anymore. I’m absolutely sobbing.
xxx
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@christine51…knowing how hard that was for you thank you for letting us see your personal memories and love the photos 
x
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@NEILB72…just wanted to pop in before I head of to work to say you are in my thoughts very much today and sending birthday blessings to your mum. I will check in on you later when I finish.
Lots of love x
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Bless you Christine
I know how hard it is to post these photos. But they are what we treasure now and are so valuable to us.
Thank you for posting and hope it doesn’t leave you more upset
Love and best wishes
Neil x
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Hi Neil,
Just to let you know I’m thinking of you today and we are all here for for you and here with you.
Lots of love,
Nic xxx
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They are lovely photos Christine, your mum looks so glamorous. My sister used to dress my niece’s in the same outfits even though they were different ages too.
Your right they packed their own bags for camping.
There was a four poster bed, but it was a replica, I will take some photos from the guide book to show you inside the house, later on, must go and get dressed now.
Debbie X
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Sending love today Neil
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Hi Neil,
In floods of tears again seeing mam but wanted to share with you all. Still feels so unfair and unreal. Sometimes if I don’t look at her she just feels far away and not gone.
Hope your day has started well and you got your flowers. And a little cake or something yum to mark the occasion? Whatever you do will be special and you will feel your mam with you today, I’m sure. This is so hard. Nobody would do it if they knew. We will all be thinking of you today.
I’m feeling really aching after yesterday even though I was sat down most of the time. But I had my coffee on the patio with Porsch. A first for me in 15 years of being here. It was lovely now that I have a private space to sit in, though the woman and her yapping dogs were out as soon as I went out there. Can be overlooked from her upstairs window so will use one of mams brollies for that space. She got 2 to shield her legs when she sat out. William Morris designs. So she’ll be with me.
Must clean the dreaded fishtank as soon as I’m dressed. It’s desperate now. Can barely see Elsie and Hilda through the green on the glass (wipes away). Takes 2 hours of carrying buckets to the bathroom to empty as I fill up with the hose. Lovely when done though. Will try to get 2 posts up after that if I can in this heat. Already scumphishing (one of mam’s words - sure it’s made up!)
Pleased you have things booked for next week. Should get you back on an even keel again after today. Your mam wouldn’t want you to be upset forever. I’m the worse person for giving advice and not taking listening to it myself! Have you felt that sense of relief yet after all the anticipation? I’m so up and down and on the brink of tears always that I never know how I’ll be from one minute to the next.
Enjoy your day with your mam. It’s only a day and doesn’t compare to the lifetime of love you shared.
Lots of love xxx
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Hi Debbie,
It makes me so upset to see mam and I avoid looking at her because it reminds me she isn’t coming back. She was so very glam and loved a party. I wish I had taken the time to enjoy these pics with her before she left. I always thought I had time. I kept wanting to help her with the photo albums to start the old family tree and now I don’t know who the very old aunties are. She would have loved doing that. She felt too overwhelmed doing it herself. And now I’m too late.
Was just saying to Neil, I enjoyed my coffee on the patio this morning for the first time ever. The woman with the yapping dogs didn’t take long to come out but she can only see me from her upstairs window. I’ll block that view with mams brolly.
I remember the chaos of going camping and dad packing the car. He always blames mam for the stuff we needed to take, even though the things weren’t her stuff (kettle, cooker etc). She refused to pack his bag one time in protest and he had no socks or pants for a week because he did it himself! Serves him right. Poor mam always got all the responsibility and all the blame. Car was so packed we had to sit on the wool blankets as we travelled with the cats. Can still recall that feeling now, being too hot and packed into the back seat. Don’t know how the car took the weight. So many caravans on the roads then as we travelled. Love to see them now. Reminds me of childhood. I would love to do that again. Always protested very loudly as a stroppy teenager.
Must get dressed too. Have the fishtank waiting for me. Always the worst job ever.
Lots of love xxx
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Hi Suzanne,
It always makes me cry seeing mam. I can’t just enjoy her. I hope I can in the future. Maybe I should print my faves and get them up in the house so she’s all around me.
I was just saying to Neil and Debbie, I enjoyed my coffee on the patio this morning. I’ve never been able to do that before. Will block the view of being overlooked from above (creeps mate with the yapping dogs) and then I can sunbathe nude if I want (I won’t be !!!)
So aching after yesterday. This covid really has zapped all my energy. Hope to get 2 post s up today. Just need to drill and screw the fixings to the fence and do the nut and bolt on the spikes that are already hammered into place. If I can secure the fences together I’ll be ready then for the trellis tops. It’s already really hot (28) so not sure if I’ll get anything done apart from the fishtank.
Must get dressed and crack on with the day. Wonder how you survive the day working in this heat.
Lots of love xxx
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Hi Christine.
Glad to hear Covid isn’t getting you down too much.
Have you tried to take some cuttings from the Hydrangea? They are the absolute easiest shrub to do that with. They are so robust. That way if the worst happens you’ll still have some new baby ones.
I can just imagine you taking full advantage of your fences. Thank goodness you both live in bungalows.
I haven’t bought anything from a garden centre for a bit. With Zoe not being well I can’t go out. Ill be on my hands and knees after getting the dog hairs up. Don’t want to keep messing about with the hoover till I have to. We bought Zoe a really expensive cooling gel mat but it’s found a patch of tile we haven’t carpeted and it’s lying on it with it being cold. Pets can be hard to please can’t they.
Too hot here to be out. Expect it’s the same for all of us. Brother is out fitting windscreens in the Lake District and says the heat is unbearable. Don’t know how outdoor workers manage, building site workers and the like.
Enjoy your afternoon in the garden. You’ve earned the rest. !
Xx
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Hello Neil
Just sending some quiet, compassionate thoughts to you. Hope you are managing.
xx
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Thanks for sharing those lovey pictures @christine51 I hope they will develop to bring you comfort in time. I must admit I can stop looking at pictures of Mum and have them all round, her face just makes me smile.
Today it is 9 years since Gran passed. It feels extra strange knowing Mum is now with her. It is heartbreakingly sad and painful, but in some ways comforting to know they are together and ‘in my corner’
My concentration is indeed shot. What is funny is when I am sat working, Pippin cat has to be up on the desk with me. Never used to. Is making for some interesting typos as he will try and sit on the keyboard.
Beki x
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@MichelleY checking in to send you love. Especially in this hot weather, do try and keep hydrated. Big hugs
Beki x
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Thinking of you today Neil and sending you lots of love.
Lucy x
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