ADDRESSING PROBLEMS

Yet another delivery van has rung through for directions to the house - satnav directions for the postcode have taken him half a mile up the road...  


Another complication is that the road which is included in our postal address doesn't really exist on maps.  


Then came the stumble through the address - 'Byre' causes all sorts of complications - as does the name of the village - and that's a very short word indeed.


I am not criticising, merely pondering on how such a simple little address with short words has become such a problem.  What must it be like in Wales with their famously long and complex names?

Actually I am delighted that he had such a problem because I decided to tell you about it, and of course I had to set up a little photo...  Trying to find some interesting-looking letters I came across some which had been sent to my parents.  A lovely find, but then I was even more delighted to find some written by your Grandma in 1970.  Treasure indeed.


There was nothing especially amazing about the content, it was all about a period of time when we (Grandma, Grandad, Ian and I) had moved back to England after spending three years living in the Outer Hebrides.  We were waiting for our new house to be finished and decorated, one of them was just about coping with life in an old caravan which had just one electric socket and that powered the fridge...  Different days, Jonny!


What I loved about it was the very ordinariness of them and how well they took me back to that period of our life.  The power of the written word - and a huge part of my pleasure was because it was in my Mum's wonderfully familiar handwriting.  She was a great letter-writer.  


I also came across a letter which I had written to my parents when you were little.  It was dated New Year 1986, Dubai, and again made an interesting read.


We obviously had much more energy in those days because after leaving you three children with two babysitters your Pa and I went to some neighbours for a New Year's Eve Party, then we moved on to another where we celebrated New Year, local time and then partied on until 4am to celebrate the new year UK time!!


We got up at 7am and took you children to the beach for an early swim.  It was cool, but sunny and we took a flask of coffee, some fruit juice,  and a pile of bacon sandwiches - we had a great time.  I even cooked a roast dinner when we got home - I must have been mad.


Our housemaid at the time, Latha, had to take a couple of days off sick so I ended up farming out Davina and Tim to friends but had to take you to the office.  I will scan the letter and send it to you sometime.


Going off on entirely different tack

here is an old photo of Pip.  Awfully scary eyes, but look how young she is, I think this was taken when we first got her - little did we know what a handful she was going to be!


She is fine, still plodding along in her stiff-legged way.


I hope all is well with you Jonny - talking of addresses - please do let me have your postal address asap as I really do need to get your birthday card sent over and of course I want to make up a parcel for you for Christmas.


Much love,


Mum
xxx


PS  It was lovely speaking to you this morning, a nice surprise!