Blog 54[3]...Durham in a day...

Blog 54 [3]…Durham in a day…

On Saturday morning myself, the ‘Hubby’, the ‘Intelligent-one’ and the ‘Cutie-pie’ were up very early…5.00am to be exact and then dressed and breakfasted and wrapped up warm and sitting in the car along with a picnic lunch. Ooh I hear you wonder… ‘Fishing trip?’ no…University trip! Ah yes it has come around now, that time of our lives for the fleeing of the nest is well under way…first the ‘Bridezilla’ and now the ‘Intelligent-one’ is planning his escape…thank goodness the ‘Cutie-pie’ is still too young to be thinking of going anywhere further than the end of the garden without me!

We had arranged for the ‘Bridezilla’ to swap cars: yes you’re right the Kia is a lovely little car but the operative word is little and the thought of piling the four of us and a picnic and pillows [I’ll explain in a minute…] and laptops and Game boys etc. into it for a few hours’ journey brought back memories of the Skegness trip and I wanted to arrive calm and fresh not squashed and sweaty. So, after an extortionate insurance payment for safety’s sake…I would not let the ‘Hubby’ take her car and risk anything happening to it whereby she would need another car and we’d be left in lumber…oh I do wish I could switch of all the what-ifs whenever we need to plan something but it’s just in my make-up…we were set! We had packed a picnic on Friday night and then it was bed early. What we didn’t plan on was the ever changing weather…I’d sorted waterproofs but hats and gloves? No! Winter woollies in September? We awoke to a blanket of pure white ground glistening in the lampposts’ rays! So a mad dash around the house for gloves, hats, scarves…the first frost of the year…typical.

Now, it has become almost a custom with our boys ever since their early childhood the different way in which they cope with a car journey any longer than a trip to the supermarket; so it came as no surprise to see the ‘Cutie-pie’ snuggled up in his quilted eiderdown and his pillow behind his head; with his fully charged Gameboy, selection of games and snacks all to hand. The ‘Intelligent-one’ on the other hand simply zipped up his jacket, pulled his deer-stalker hat over his earphones, wedged his hands in his pockets and slept; oblivious to anything or anyone around him.

As for me? Well, I always get lumbered with the role of the navigator: difficult job due to needing reading glasses for the map and distance glasses for the road signs and all too often the ‘Hubby’ will shout “What does this sign coming up say?” and by the time I have swapped my glasses the sign has long since passed! It’s the same with roundabouts…I’ll say third exit and he says “Which one?” as he takes the roundabout at 100mph and expects me to point him in the right direction whilst sliding against the passenger door, glasses falling into the door drawer and as I rectify the situation he has passed the roundabout, taken the wrong exit and is motoring in the totally wrong direction…and as happened on Saturday…was stuck behind a tractor whose driver thought he was the only person out and about at that time of the morning and he had all the time in the world to sit in the middle of the road as he drove at less than 5mph! 

I have to say though that even though it was frosty as the sun came up the scenery became breath-taking. The motorway gave way to country lanes, stone houses puffed the first fire of the day through their chimneys, white fields were dotted with sheep, the most brilliant blue of skies appeared above us and warm pinky streams of cloud touched the hills as the day began to break. I was imagining the people in the cottages sitting in their pyjamas in front of range cookers or curled up by wood burning stoves, their lamps sending warm glows across their kitchen floors as they started their weekend…whilst I sat shivering despite the ‘Bridezilla’s’ car heater on full blast because I had put my summer shoes on, without socks, whilst I packed the car, then dashed about like a headless chicken making sure I had printed off the full map and directions and then jumped in the car totally oblivious to the fact that I had my winter coat and gloves on BUT still had my sandals on…by the time my ice cold toes started to shiver we were half way down the motorway and too late to go back for my socks and boots! [So much for last week when I wondered if my grandma turning up in her slippers would run in the family…!]

Nonetheless, it was an important day and we were on time. The ‘Intelligent-one’ had booked the four us in for a course on what his Degree would entail…of course being so keen he had booked us in for the very first talk of the day at 9.30am…then we were to attend a lecture for Parents on admissions and finance [the cause of many a sleepless night…!] at 1.30pm…announcing that he had allowed us plenty of time to go sightseeing through the town …ha! Sight was a good word if you can picture me in a winter coat, woolly hat, gloves and summer sandals! Also, unthinkingly, I had packed the picnic in the rather large cooling picnic box…yes one of the larger ones you can buy so that I can get ALL the food we are capable of consuming once we are in fresh air packed nicely! What I should have done was pack it all separately into 4 back packs because unbeknown to me we were not parking in a car park at the University…oh no… the directions led us straight to a Park and Ride facility where we picked up a bus to the campus…minus the picnic box…who the hell wants to carry that around all day!

All the ‘Hubby’ could say was:

“Thanks son, that’s better than looking for parking…”

and all the ‘Cutie-pie’ could say was:

“There’d better be a coffee shop…I just fancy a mini-hot chocolate with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles…”

And all the ‘Intelligent-one’ could say was:

“We could walk it you know, it’s only about 20 minutes from here…”

and all I could think was ‘Dear Lord, let my toes defrost without dropping off…’

So, we arrived at the University and I was blown away by the size of where my ‘Intelligent-one’; my first born, could be going to be living and studying this time next year and for a full three or four years to come. In fact I was more than blown away, I was overwhelmed…I had to fight a very strong urge to grab him, wrap him in my arms and run all the way back home. It suddenly hit me that all this was very real and as I stood in awe of this fantastic building, amongst groups of excited teenagers and their fathers I noticed that for the most part all the mothers seemed to be walking about with a smile pasted on their faces…I was not alone in this incredible tug of love…yes we have to grow up…yes we have to move on…yes this is what life is all about…but I wanted to shout ‘No! No! No! Not yet…he’s so young, so unprepared…I’m so unprepared…can we come back in 10 years time please?!’

We were greeted by a fantastic duet performed by musical students playing the accordion, young people handing out goody bags and students with large white foam fingers pointing the way around the campus. After registering we made our way into the first lecture hall. At this point I was calmer but feeling excited at the same time, if that’s possible to imagine! We sat down in rows and I felt as though I was back at college…many, many years ago. I produced my note pad and pen and sat eagerly awaiting the imparting of the Head of Department’s knowledge…and then IT happened! Just like when I was at college the strange sensation of being unable to keep my eyes open and concentrate at the same time flooded over me…is it the warmth of the room? Is it the sheer effort of intense listening? Who knows…but it’s spooky…I was transported back to those long days of studying and trying desperately to write every single word that comes out of the lecturer’s mouth! I used to completely nod off, head resting on my left hand, pen wavering about the note page in my right hand…to all intents and purposes I appear to be enthralled but in actual fact I’m a million miles away…the notes from college were often useless…being just lines of scribble…and the notes I wrote on Saturday are neither ‘use nor ornament’ as grandma used to say! It’s a dreadful sensation: I’m in a deep sleep whilst still sitting up, I don’t snore or dribble, my head stays still but for a few moments I’m gone! Then I float back to civilisation and am fine! I’d forgotten all about this affliction until the lecturer began to talk…and I was helpless!

“That was informative…good advice…” announced the ‘Hubby’ totally unawares of my morning nap.

“Oh …er yes…” I trilled in reply whilst making a mental note to study the University web site for information.

Moving on we then had a snack of hot drinks and cakes to sustain us for the walk into the town…which actually was much nearer than we realised and we found the Student’s Union at the corner of the main road, about five minutes away from the main university building. In this place we stumbled across a very young but confidant Student Ambassador who introduced us to the mine field of accommodation…ye Gods my baby could be sharing a room with a stranger…having to make his own breakfast…responsible for his washing…all just too much! They live in the halls of residence; now known as colleges, for the first year…Phew! Everything is within walking distance. Then they move out…WHAT? Why? In the second year, they are given support to find somewhere and people like them to share accommodation…[the cost of which is akin to our monthly mortgage payments]…they have to find their own lettings…oh no not the ‘Intelligent-one’ he’d leave it until the week before term starts and then announce he’s got nowhere to live and can we book him into the Hilton…!

So in an effort to 'calm the mother' they decided we should explore the Cathedral on the hill and off we set, following the other hapless and now distraught looking parents…yes I wanted to say to them; “Mmm you too eh? Not so smug looking now are we? Thought it’d be exciting eh? Heartbreaking … and bank breaking more like…”
As I stepped onto the entrance to the bridge, my feet were totally numb by now and then this numbness very quickly shot through my body…I stopped…rooted to the spot as we had approached the bridge through a beautiful walk way of trees I had been totally unaware of the height of the bridge…the sheer drop down into what had once been the moat and safety measures for the historic buildings ahead…yet another affliction in my ever increasing repertoire of fearful things along with deep water, driving over bridges and being near sandcastles [I’ll explain that in a minute…]...is my fear of heights. Wouldn’t you just think that after 30 years of being together the ‘Hubby’ would have stopped and held my hand? No. Did he even realise that I was not walking beside him? No. Luckily for me the ‘Cutie-pie’ wanted a sweet from my handbag or I’m sure I’d still be standing there…he turned, saw the look of horror on my face…tried unsuccessfully to disguise his giggle and turned towards his father and brother…

“What’s up with the mother?” He asked

“Her feet are cold…” stated the ‘Intelligent-one.’

“Oh hell, we’re too high for her…” at last…noticed by the nearest and dearest.

[Right the fear issue…well if I am walking on a bridge I have an overwhelming longing to throw myself over the sides and fly…if I am walking in a building with a high roof I have a tendency to fall to one side…as if I’m being drawn into a hole…if I am on a beach and someone has spent hours building fabulous sculptures out of sand I get the uncontrollable urge to kick it all down…Why? Who knows but if you are working these impulses out please also consider why on earth do I get an urge to shout something rude when I’m in a room full of adults? Luckily I’ve never had that problem with children otherwise my teaching career would have been very short indeed…]

Well, the walk across the stone bridge was akin to the fear of walking the plank…but it was worth it. Winding cobbled streets, ancient buildings; quaint shops...the Cathedral and Castle are a world renowned heritage site: previously unbeknown to me; it has the most stunning city panorama…a fabulous place to explore. We walked around the streets and in through the Cathedral doorway that opened out onto a beautiful lawned area flanked on all four sides by the Cathedral. As we walked along the flagged Cloisters the ‘Cutie-pie’ announced that it was just like 'Harry Potter' and at any moment 'Dumbledore' could come flying in through the doorways. The smell of ancient wood, the sound of shoes tap, tap, tapping, the magnificent stone archways then all gave way to the most serene and incensed filled, candle-lit sight: the inside of the Cathedral with outstanding stained glass windows. Pure magic.

There was a fabulous sense of history as well as a wonderful feeling that actually this would be a great place for the ‘Intelligent-one’ to come and live; to study and explore.

My feelings of apprehension were slowly giving way to a feeling of pride, of safety, of knowledge that he would enjoy this time, this place, this history.

[Of course the height of the ceiling was too much for me…I lit candles and knelt to pray whilst the men folk oohed and ahhed about the architecture, I shan’t bore you with the details but I stupidly looked into what I thought was a glass case…mmm well apparently it’s a special mirror that reflects the ceiling for those of us who cannot look up…what about those of us who faint by looking down at something that is up? Work that one out and you get a gold star!] 

 

All too soon the perfect day came to an end and we retreated to the car and our driving foibles…except that I was relieved of my navigation duties as the journey home was better signposted!

Ah home…warmth, calm, all of us together for a Saturday night supper…happy days…then the peace was shattered as the voice of the ‘Intelligent-one’ called…

“I’ve booked us in for the Warwick University Open Day…”

… mm…let’s get the directions printed for that one…mustn’t forget to use the back packs…oh and I‘d better get my boots out ready…don't want to be caught out twice now I do?

Blog54 [3]

Copyright©GML 2012

Blog 54 [2] Wedding Fever...?

Blog 54 [2] Wedding Fever…?

I am beginning to think that this is an actual illness you know…wedding fever is often mentioned from time to time and if you take the word ‘fever’ literally it could well describe how I am feeling currently. I woke up suddenly one night last week from a very deep sleep; which was wonderful as you know I rarely sleep all night anyway; but this sleep rendered me totally confused and unable to think straight. I felt hot as though I had a temperature and I felt sick…no nothing to do with the usual hot flushes or too much wine and we’ve not had any takeaway food lately…it felt like a real fever. I suppose a better description would be a panic attack. What could I possibly be panicking about?

The ‘Bridezilla’s’ wedding.

Oh I know, I know it is a very exciting time and we are all looking forward to it from different points of view…the ‘Cutie-pie’ is looking forward to wearing a suit, cravat and chatting to the bridesmaids [or brides-mates as he used to say…] as well as having a really good dance and let’s not forget the food! The ‘Intelligent-one’ is also looking forward to the food and to dancing having recently discovered that actually he can move in time to ‘Your sex is on fire…’ even though as his mother I’d prefer not to think of my first born and the word sex in the same sentence!

Of course the ‘Hubby’ is his usual calm, chilled self and has nothing to worry about…including the speech as the ‘father of the Bridezilla…’ nothing will faze him. But me? Well that’s a different story all together.

In my deep sleep I had been dreaming that I was standing in the church surrounded by loads of people that I didn’t recognise…I was looking around when the church door opened and someone said; “She’s here!” and when I turned round to watch the ‘Bridezilla’ walk down the aisle it wasn’t my  ‘Bridezilla’ at all but some random bride who started shouting at me to get out…the feeling that I was in the wrong wedding ceremony was overwhelming and as I tried to get out of the church I could hear everyone talking and I looked down at myself to discover I was totally stark naked…then I woke up!

So, I know that being naked in your sleep is a common dream and I can no longer remember what it means; but lying in my bed with my heart thumping in the dark left me with an awful feeling of dread. Good God what can happen on the biggest day of my niece’s life? What can go wrong? Well I know I won’t be naked…no chance of getting into the wedding car without my clothes on…I’m sure even if I slipped past the ‘Hubby’ unnoticed then the chauffeur would have something to say! [I then remembered my mum telling us about her wedding day and how when grandma was getting out of the car she looked down at her feet as they touched the pavement and in all her excitement she had forgotten her shoes and was still in her slippers!]

Supposing it runs in the family?

I ran through a mental check list of what still needed to be done and of course my outfit was the top of the list…when should I start looking…where should I go? How much do you spend on the mother of the bride outfit in order to look special? Should I wear a hat or a fascinator? Do I tell everyone what I’m wearing so no one turns up in the same outfit? Believe me it does happen…and if it did do I tell that person to stay at the back of the church?! I turned over in bed, plumped my pillows up and snuggled down; the minute I closed my eyes the thoughts ran through my head at a million miles an hour.

The ‘Bridezilla’ has chosen her dress, her cake, her car, the mens’ suits, the church, the wedding venue, the D.J, the menu…she has her bridesmaids' dresses hanging up in the wardrobe and they have their shoes. Not an easy task when one lives across the Irish sea, one lives in Manchester, one in Blackburn but there is a bridesmaid living locally! They are different ages, different sizes, different tastes in shoes, different hair lengths and colours…but they all have one thing in common…they love the ‘Bridezilla’ and will make her day a happy one.

Phew!

I closed my eyes…heart racing: the underskirts! OMG! They need the underskirts organising…I shot out of bed, rummaged in the dark for a piece of paper from the back of my drawers…anything to write on; the back of a indigestion tablet packet…what to write with…digging deeper I felt my fingers grasp a small tube… yep a lipstick will do...ah ha… I proceeded to scrawl… underskirts, black, 4 on the cardboard. Ah now I won’t forget. The bridesmaids will be sorted. I closed my eyes and for some reason suddenly I kept thinking about when I was a bridesmaid. I tried to block all thoughts and tried to sooth myself into a deep slumber…but no; images of pale blue trouser suits flooded my head.

I was only 10 when my uncle announced that he was getting married and his future bride asked if me and the ‘big-sister’ would like to be bridesmaids…I was so excited. I drew pictures of the big floaty dress we would probably be wearing. Oh and pink…it will be pink my favourite colour. We would all be walking down the aisle and everyone would oohhh and ahhh…however this was the sixties and my aunt was young and funky. Dresses? No…trouser suits…what? I was gutted when she came to measure us up. The look on my mother’s face was enough to tell me to keep my 10 year old mouth almighty shut and to smile and say nothing. I thought only old women wore trouser suits and my friends at school didn’t believe that I was going to be a bridesmaid because I wasn’t going to be in a princess dress. Then one day she appeared with a pile of blue, glittery, lurex material and proceeded to help us dress…the top was an A-line, long sleeved mini dress that stopped an inch or so above my knees and it had a little stand up collar. The trousers were straight and we were wearing brand new sandals with a sling back…I felt so grown up, so modern, so excited that I didn’t want to take my new special outfit off…this was nothing like the trouser suits older women wore and I caught my mother’s eye and she looked at me and smiled as if to say ‘…told you so…’ On the big day there were four of us as bridesmaids…we had our hair in a bob style and the coolest thing of all…we had daisies in our hair as well as carrying a bouquet! [If my memory serves me well we were actually the bridesmaids of the month in the local paper!]

Well I was wide awake by now, no chance of sleep as my mind raced ahead with memories of being a bridesmaid for my younger brother.

The ‘big-sister’ and I were going to be bridesmaids together again! In blue again! This time they were long floaty dresses, off the shoulder, lacy ones…just the thing for the early 1980’s…with big hair do’s and lacy fingerless gloves. We spent a full year dieting and exercising so that we wouldn’t be two fatties next to the other rather slim bridesmaids and the slim bride! I worked in Liverpool at the time and just the day before the wedding I was standing on a cupboard attaching some art work that was hanging from the ceiling in my classroom…it was the morning break and the children were outside but one little lad had come back in for something and stood next to the cupboard…calling my name…he stopped at my request as I said I was nearly finished and he could tell me when I got down...I stupidly ignored his “But miss…” as I stepped back…flew through the air, arms and legs flaying about as I tried to retain some dignity so that this little one wouldn’t see my knickers and desperately trying to grab something to stop my fall…BANG full onto my left hand side…in a heap…oh the pain…and the little boy? He was standing next to the chair that was against the cupboard that had had my shoes on it so that I could climb up onto the high cupboard and then step back into the shoes and jump off the chair…against all regulations I know…and all he could say as he handed me the shoes was…”Miss I only wanted to tell you your shoes had come off!”

So sadly by the dinner time it was obvious that I was slightly more than just bruised and the head teacher took me to the local hospital where I was left to be x-rayed and told that I had a hairline fracture in my collar bone and needed a sling and a neck brace. I was in agony as I sat in the taxi back to the school…worse was to happen as he skidded round a corner I slid along the seat and ended up in a heap on the floor of the cab unable to stop myself from falling. In pain and in tears I scrambled out with only one arm working and had to ring home to say that I was unable to drive home…could someone come and get me?

The morning of the wedding arrived and I awoke to see a fat, swollen face due to an allergic reaction to the painkillers, my eyes were swollen due to crying so much and I was not a popular bridesmaid due to wearing what could only be described as an outsized sanitary towel around my neck. So much for all the dieting and exercise…I hardly floated slim and trim down the aisle!

With these thoughts running through my head I realised that it was dawn breaking outside…I hadn’t slept for hours but now I was thinking clearly about what was left to be done and the time limit we had…take a month off for Christmas preparations and shopping that leaves…6 months until the wedding…OMG… will I wear a…hat? Fascinator? Sling backs? Platforms? Pink? Grey? Blue? Green? Yellow?Long? Short? Trousers?

Sleep…sleep… Flowers!

We’ve forgotten to book the appointment with the florist…no wait we don’t need to do that until October…am I having a corsage or flowers on my handbag? Mm...must look at those magazines and see what’s most popular… what about ‘Bridezilla’s’ jewellery? Veil? Tiara? Shoes? OMG shoes for the boys and the ’Hubby’…new socks, new underwear, are we staying at the hotel or coming home? Should we book the hotel?

Photographer? Ooo yes booked and sorted…what readings at the Church? The Vicar will guide them with that and the music for walking to and the choir…are they having a choir? Are they having flowers all around the church? Must ask…must sleep…must organise invitations…must sleep…OMG I have a fever: my head’s going to burst I can hear it buzzing…no wait that’s the alarm clock…the alarm clock? Nooo! Time to get up?

The ’Hubby’ sat up and looked at me...”Oh sweetheart, you look dreadful. Bad night? Are you in pain?” He mumbled as he shuffled to the bathroom… the words...’you have no idea…’  swam through my brain.

He leant across to get the hairbrush…picking up the torn remnants of the tablet box he asked; “What the hell does; U/S blk x 4 fasin or hat: in red lipstick stand for?”

As I stumbled across the room to open the curtains and welcome in the day I thought in reply;

              … You really haven’t got a clue about wedding fever have you…?

PS still no green background...most disappointed...who knows where I've gone wrong!

Blog 54[2]

Copyright©GML2012

Blog 54 [1]...September...

Blog 54 [1]…September…

It’s September!

Yeay!

Why am I pleased?

Is it because the children are back in full time education? Is it because the trees are changing colour? Is it because the nights are cooler and darker earlier? I hear you all ask. Well, no, it’s not really just all those things…yes I do enjoy the peace and quiet in the house during the day, yes I love the reds and golds of Autumn, yes I do love cooler nights and I am addicted to warm scented candles flickering on the mantelpiece above a toasty warm fire…BUT I’m loving this September for lots more reasons.

The first week of September had always been the back to work week…new class to get to know, new routines to become familiar with, new work load for night times: September always came round so soon after a few weeks of easy breakfasts, reading for pleasure and catching up with family during the school summer holidays and it seemed to be the longest month of all.This time there has been a whole different start to the month of September…the Guild in my town. Actually it’s a city now but I cannot get used to calling it that: in comparison to larger cities like Liverpool and Manchester we do seem small and the recession has brought continual closure of shops and businesses that have been here for years. We seemed to have hit a bit of a dull phase whereby nothing particularly exciting was being planned or built or introduced into the town and the world seemed to go on around us. Everywhere seemed to be looking neglected. But then we had the GUILD 2012 and a new lease of life was breathed into the community.

This is an event that has taken place every 20 years for more than 800 years, with the exception of during the War. It is a unique celebration brought about by King Henry II granting Preston the right to have a Guild Merchant way back in history in 1179. It meant that the town had a Royal Charter. The Guild was an organisation of Traders, Craftsmen and Merchants and newcomers could only trade in the town with the permission of the Guild. During the Guild Celebrations people gathered to watch processions and enjoy special events.

Nowadays there are still the processions of trades, churches, schools and charities. There are markets, musical events, circus, dances and in recent years pop concerts in the open air on the parks.  Communities celebrate with street parties. The whole celebration lasts a week and ends after the town has had a Torchlight procession, the only procession held in the dark, and a firework display. The whole town…er city…comes alive with music, bright costumes, banners, colourful bunting, flower displays, flags and a sense of history. People are mingling amongst strangers but everyone talks to each other: the pace of life seems to slow down and people take time to be out and about. The museum was buzzing with visitors eager to see relics from previous Guilds…I took the boys; amazing to see old footage of the place we call home and take for granted.

With so much going on every day it’s a great opportunity for social gatherings and family get-togethers:  which is exactly what we did.

Last October very sadly the last of my mother’s brothers passed away at the age of 84. As always it seems that as a family over the past few years the only time we get together is at funerals. We always say ‘We must get together’ but somehow it just doesn’t happen. But after this particular funeral myself and two of my cousins decided that yes we should have a proper family reunion and what better opportunity than to hold it at the beginning of the Guild week when most family members would be home for the Guild. This is the side of my family that hails from Preston, my mother’s family. As you may remember I did once tell you that my mother was one of seven children; 3 girls and 4 boys. When her parents celebrated their Golden wedding Anniversary they had 26 grandchildren: 13 girls and 13 boys. [A late arrival a few years later made it 14 girls!] As all these children have grown up and had children and some even have grandchildren the family has swelled and so it was not an easy task to try to track them all down and organise a reunion…but you know what? We did it!

My two cousins and I set about having regular coffee and cake meetings…although it has to be said that we actually often got a bit carried away with other things and the plans would be slotted in quickly before we parted! We are quite close in age; although not the eldest members of the family we are not the youngest! Round about the middle age! We actually found we had a lot of catching up to do as it had been years since we had had the time to just sit and natter!

So we decided on a date, venue, entertainment  and set about contacting everyone. It was to be a gathering of our grandparents’ off- springs. The past few weeks in the lead up to the party was hectic to say the least as we tried to organise food, music and the all important photographs of years gone by. After a few sleepless nights we pulled it off…we had a total of 89 family members;ages ranging from 84 to 2 years...and one due in three weeks but almost on it's way after all the dancing! Family had travelled from near and far…a few couldn’t get up here but those of us who gathered had a ball; literally!

Four generations of the family crowded together for the best family portrait we could ever have hoped for. We sang and we danced to a fantastic band [family members …of course!]We ‘dosey-doed’ and danced in circles like Morris dancers…although one of us flew through the air and landed flat on her front…well not quite flat… and yes it was me!

There was a lot of laughter; especially when my two brothers performed what has become a family tradition started by mum’s two older brothers: using the foil trays that had had sandwiches on they proceeded to sing a song whilst banging the trays on their heads and each others’ heads in tune to the music…a happy sight although pretty crazy it was not dis-similar to a Laurel and Hardy song and dance routine!

There was a lot of talking about the old pictures, a few tears as we remembered our loved ones who were no longer with us…we oohed and ahhed at the picture of granddad as a young soldier in his First World War uniform and pictures of grandma as a very young lady. Some of the family members have been inspired to put together a family tree and had brought along a lap-top to get everyone to update details. One cousin brought in a fabulous cake decorated with the pictures of our grandma and granddad and all their seven children against the skyline of Preston. Another cousin brought a beautiful cake decorated by her daughter. We had the most amazing food that everyone had contributed to, including the traditional butter pies!

All in all it was a huge success and family members met up with each other for the first time in years sharing news and photographs. As youngsters we had often met up at the many family parties and as we grew up we often met up at local pubs! Life and careers took us all on different paths and to different places. I sat for a moment and looked around the room at all the different ages of children and teenagers talking and making friends and I did feel a little tinge of sadness…a longing for the past when as children we had always spent time together with our grandparents: looking back I think our grandparents were actually the pin that held us all together with their principles, their work ethic, their no-nonsense values and discipline but most of all their love for each and every one of their 27 grandchildren [and the 5 great-grandchildren that were born during their lifetime!] They dyed hard boiled eggs a multitude of colours for Easter and gave us all a sixpence for our birthdays or good school reports. [Sixpence is the equivalent of two and a half-pence nowadays but back then you could get a full bag of sweets!] They were special people to us and I had a sense of their pride that we all managed to be together for this Guild. They would have loved it!

This wonderful night was followed by the rest of the Guild celebrations.

The ‘Bridezilla’ was excited as she proudly announced that she would be walking in the Community procession with her local Ladies’ Gym: this procession involved schools, voluntary groups, sports clubs, youth associations…in fact there were 124 different sections.

Mmm I wanted to be a part of this Guild but so far had only been a spectator. The last Guild in 1992 I was with the school children for three days on the park during their dancing event and had only seen bits of the Guild from back stage. The 1972 Guild I was a disinterested teenager of 14 [yes you may remember me telling you that’s when I first set eyes on the ‘Hubby’] But this Guild I wasn’t working and I was interested in what was going on but there was nothing for me to be a part of and disappointment had set in when one afternoon I realised that as I watched one of the processions this could very well be my last ever Guild…well let’s face it none of us knows what will happen in the next 20 years and I’ll be in my 70’s!

I have to admit I was a bit grumpy and the ‘Hubby’ just thought it was the ‘low’ after such a fantastic weekend. To cheer me up he agreed to come to the Torchlight Procession and to help persuade the boys to come along too. Ha! I think I need to develop this sulky technique for ways to get what I want in the future!

Still I felt a bit low and out of the blue the ‘Bridezilla’ asked would I like to join her in the walk as I had been a member of the gym [many moons ago…yes little old me on the treadmill…just getting into the swing of things and attended 2 Salsa sessions as well to help strengthen my ‘inner-core’: then I fell at home and broke my wrist…oohh the agony! I didn’t get back to the gym due to having had 3 plaster casts and treatment over a period of 6 months, I know; ow ow ow!]

Yes! I jumped at the chance! It was a gentle stroll through town, a bit like shopping and I would be in my trainers and jogging pants; not that I do any jogging these days!

The day dawned, I was excited. For goodness sake why on earth I was so excited about walking through crowds of people I don’t know.

We arrived at the gym, put on the specially printed Guild 2012 sweatshirts, collected balloons and pens [for giving to the crowds…note: giving and not chucking at: you can just imagine can’t you someone standing in the crowd and a pen comes flying out of nowhere and hits them in the eye…the compensation would be more than the cost of the procession!] All set, my new pain relief patch was still stuck on my back, I’d already downed the painkillers, I had been talking positive thoughts to myself about how I can do this… no I’m not really crazy it’s just a technique the Pain Management Team taught me to help cope with doing things and being in pain…and I was prepared!

We needed to walk to the starting ‘meeting and greeting’ point as all traffic was re-routed. Then it hit me. The most aggravating pain in my stomach. Dear Lord no! I hadn’t had anything out of the ordinary to eat to set this off! I’d had no wine the night before. No red meat for a few days. Why oh why now of all the days I sit at home why now do I get the ‘runs’?

I could feel my stomach churning with that old-familiar-butterflies in my stomach feeling. You could actually hear me rumbling. The ‘Bridezilla’ was beside herself with laughter at the noises but then the look on my face told her I needed help and pretty quickly! I panicked at the thought that everyone would either have to wait at the gym for me whilst I sat in the loo or that they would set off without me and I’d get lost!

The ‘Bridezilla’ came to my rescue: a packet of those wonderful tablets that stop the ‘runs’ in their tracks…or more appropriately in my tracksuit! Her trip to the local shop had provided me with the perfect solution. I took two tablets straightaway and another one just before the procession started! Phew!

It’s funny isn’t it? Once I’d agreed to do the walk I was more bothered about falling over or having bad back ache than anything else. I’d never even considered the fact that I could pooh my pants on the day!

 [Note to self: stock up with these magic pills for ‘Bridezilla’s’ wedding day…now that would be a disaster…!]

Well the walk was fantastic! The weather was dry [I was warm due to a temperature!] and the crowds of people shouting and waving was exciting and a bit overwhelming in a strange sort of way. The music was inspiring and made me want to dance. This was it! This was my moment in the Guild and I loved it! We paraded past the Guild Mayor and other prestigious people on the City Council who applauded everyone. There were smiles and laughter and clapping and ticker tape and balloons galore…and NO mishaps!

To share the day with the ‘Bridezilla’ made it all the more perfect for me as well…and we'll get a medal, now how cool will that be to share with future generations?

So you see the start to this September has been great and there is something else that’s great about it…my two cousins who planned the party with me…we are bound by the fact that our mothers were three sisters…they had  a lot of time together…sharing and confiding and laughing and most likely crying too.

Just like we have had in the past 11 months…and somehow a bond has formed almost like a sisterly connection…and even though we no longer have a party to plan we are still meeting up for a coffee and a chat and spending time with each other…just like our mums used to…and just how special is that eh?

As our granddad used to say; “Just champion…”

Footnote: heaven only knows what has happend to the colours of the background this week...must get the 'Cutie-pie' to check all my settings before next week's blog!
 

Blog 54 [1] © GML 2012.