20 January - Dad's birthday

It has to be said that my father was outwardly not one for birthdays. After my mother died his default present was a cheque or cash (for varying amounts). Indeed, as he got older this amount tended to decrease for all of us (me, grandchildren and others) as his memory skipped the recent present and recalled an earlier time when five pounds was a lot of money. Chris, my mother, had always bought the presents that they would give together, a task she delighted in, and he was more than happy to go along with it.

"You mustn't get me anything" was his usual plea when it came to his own birthday; or "you shouldn't have" when he saw the present. Books, videos (latterly DVDs) and CDs were common, indulging his tastes for autobiographies, choral music and period dramas. His granddaughter Abigail recounts seeing 'Pride and Prejudice' on countless afternoons after he had picked her up from school; and also to being fed slices of apple dipped in sugar (about which her health concious parents would have been horrified!).

Of course, being the social animal that he was he hugely enjoyed being the centre of attention and sooner or later the storytelling would begin. This is the first time in 52 years that I won't be calling him or coming over to his house to celebrate with him; I will miss those moments as he would graciously accept the plaudits for passing yet another milestone.

Happy birthday Dad.

Love Lawrence x