Ross Kenneth Gould

i'm getting ready to go home for just under a week. very sadly, my Grandpa Gould died two and a half weeks ago and the memorial service is this coming sunday. it's been a difficult time and has reinforced how much it means to me to get home for good. being far away - knowing that even if you were around there is very little you could do - is a burden at times like these. no amount of real ale or rain can wash that away.

i remember my Grandpa teaching me how to use his typewriter. his office in the basement of their house at 24 rowse crescent - i can still remember the old phone number too - was immaculate. there was also iced tea in the fridge, which was my absolute favourite and mini wheats for breakfast. and then there were the fresh cherry tomatoes that i always went home with in a plastic margarine container. the last time i talked to him, we swapped notes on writing dissertations; the vast difference there is between writing one now and probably seventy years ago.

i do need to get to bed though. it's late, i worked a 12 hour day, have been trying to pack and get organised and dissolved into tears when i was trying to cut my fringe/bangs myself so they'd stop getting in my way. a good night sleep will do me good.

the last of the Canadian visitors

dad and christine outside arguments yard in whitby, north yorkshire

fountains abbey

it's been a busy week. last friday we greeted my dad and christine at manchester airport and embarked on a whirlwind weekend around liverpool before setting off for four nights in the yorkshire dales. we had lots of laughs and what we would all describe as one of the best pub experiences ever at the green dragon in hardrow village in yorkshire. all i'll say is that it involved my dad getting a hug from a lancashire man in yorkshire, a kd lang lookalike, and a drunk farmer.

what's nice about this visit is that they are coming back up to liverpool after their own tour of the south, which is quite ambitious, but no doubt they'll have a great time. we all remarked on how taking them to the train station in liverpool to head down to london was complete roll reversal. davoud and i had armed them with a phone, satellite navigation, more maps and tips on where to eat. "and don't forget to call us when you get there!"

it's a bank holiday weekend here so thankfully we're not back at work until tuesday. i have a bit of school work to finish up on monday and then it will officially all be done. who knows what i'm going to do with all of that spare time...