Grandad

16 January 2017 was one of the worst days of my life.

Everyone knows Grandad in their own way but I’d like to share how I viewed him.

I could talk forever and a day about Grandad and everything he did, I always used to say to “I talk too much don’t I”, it seemed like there was never a moment of peace when I was there, whether it was talk work, holidays, tv programmes or the latest drama with friends. 

When I was young we used to always sing together on the way home and I remember him dancing Abba with me in the kitchen and watching Only Fools and Horses with him, I even had a favourite episode. 

Taking me to violin lessons each week and to McDonalds for a happy meal as a treat after, he always slipped me the money so Grannie didn’t see. I think he was trying to fatten me up but it didn’t work. 

Grandad has a furry little bug which looks similar to a pom pom in his car from when I went to Arthog at age 11, he hass taken it with him each time he has changed his car and placed it on the dash board.

Talking of cars who is gonna help me with my car now. I don’t even know how to check my tyre pressure or open my bonnet, I literally relied on Grandad for so much. Who am I gonna read auto trader with, talk about expensive and fast cars with and who will answer my questions about the formula 1.

Grandad was very organised and everything had its place, if you needed a spare key for any reason, you could find them all in one place and labelled so you could never pick up the wrong one. 

Grandad refused to get bifocals no matter how many times he missed seeing something Grannie pointed out on the tv because he was switching between his two pairs. Why go and purchase a new pair when I’ve got two perfectly good pairs that do the job was his attitude.

When Grannie gave us a choice of what to have for tea, Grandad was first to shout “ice cream” whether it was summer or winter, it didn’t matter, it was always ice cream as it saved on the washing up. 

Grandad would always have a cup of tea ready for when Grannie and I got back from a walk on a Sunday, he did made a cracking cup of tea, and it was always with the tea pot! 

He was so caring, if Grannie was a few minutes late home then he would call our house to check if she was there. Grandad always carved the Christmas Turkey and although he always dried the dishes, on Christmas Day and Mother’s Day he washed up the dishes so to give Grannie a day off.

I was complaining that my phone battery was useless and I had to charge my phone so much that it may as well have been a landline phone so he got me a portable charger to make sure I always had battery on my phone. 

The day before Grandad passed we were sat at the table and I was trying to knit, he told me about how he learnt to knit in school but hadn’t for ages. The next moment he was shouting me from the attic as he wanted to know which suitcase to bring down for my holiday and he would never let me carry anything heavier than my handbag to the car so of course the suitcase was carried to the car for me that evening. 

Most recent favourite memory was him driving to pick Grannie up from ours as it was raining, he brought an umbrella to hold over her whilst he stood in the rain and opened the car door for her. 

He was always early for everything,Ggrandad being late was never an option, if he said he was coming to pick you up at 9am no doubt that the door bell would ring at 8:40 whilst you were still in your pyjamas eating breakfast. Speaking of early, this morning Mom set her alarm for 8:30 yet it went off at 8:10, no doubt a sign from Grandad to say don’t you be late!

Even when Grandad was in hospital for his hip replacement he popped the biscuits he was given with his tea one evening in the locker drawer and gave them to me the next day when I visited him as he knew bourbons were my favourite. 

After his hip operation and he couldn’t get out to buy Grannie a gift for her birthday, he sneakily gave me some money and asked me to purchase it for him as he still wanted to surprise her.

I’m so glad that Grandad was able to see me graduate, although he wasn’t able to make it to Ormskirk he watched it online, for those of you who know him well, he is a technophobe and still has his mobile phone manual on the side, so viewing it online is a big thing. I hope I made him proud with everything.

It’s going to be so strange to not see the smiling face of the most loving man I could even be fortunate enough to spend 23 years with, opening that garage door to me every Sunday. 

Grandad is more than a Grandad he is my father figure in life, he taught me so much including how to read (which I absolutely love doing as I always have a book with me) and I can never be more thankful.

Grandad still lives in our hearts, in the happiness we knew and the dreams we shared and finally Grandad has left us all a gift and that gift is love.