My Dad

Christmas Past - My Dad

Driving up and down to Suffolk this week has made me somewhat reflective and it has also focused me on my Dad who passed away nearly 20 years ago. Time just goes by so quick. Today's blips give some photos with my Dad at Christmas, again a poignant time for our family. My Dad was a quiet, understated man who had to leave school early in the depression to get work and worked in the steel industry most of his life. He and my mum provided for us on a tight budget in our early years but gave us splendid birthdays and Christmases.

When I was 12 we moved to Suffolk as he got a better job for the same firm. This felt like a magical move and we spent our teenage years there. My mum is still living there and I will be travelling down shortly to check she has settled into the Care Home for Christmas and beyond, hence the earlier blip today.

In 1994 we were due to travel down to Suffolk for Christmas. My mum called to say Dad had been taken ill in the supermarket and had driven to hospital only to find he had had a heart attack. We went down and he was comfortable but there for Christmas. It was a strange christmas as my mum tried to provide for Christmas as if nothing had happened. It was hard to stop her, she wanted all the kids to have a good time. So we played along with her, played the games and thought of Dad. My daughter was particularly upset as she was close to her Grandad.

In the new year he made a good recovery and life progressed on. The following christmas I was determined that we made it special for him. I had bought a video camera for the kids and on Christmas day we opened it up and filmed. It was a wonderful christmas with my Dad in top form and performing his usual christmas trick with the Christmas pudding and rum! Brains was played endlessly and everything seemed back to normal. I got good footage and it would prove to be be a good memory.

Sadly shortly after the new year Dad had another heart attack and died peacefully. It was sad for us all but after a few months I made copies of the video and gave a copy to my mum. I think she watched it and it gave her a lasting memory. It is on VHS so haven't played it for many years but my son says we still have it and we have an old player sometime. I will play it this christmas for sure.

My Dad always relaxed at Christmas and enjoyed christmas in ways we did not often see at other times of the year. As shown in the photos he always wore his cracker Christmas hat the longest and often still had it on when all had discarded there's. He was a methodical present unwrapper. Taking great care and unwrapping slowly to enjoy each moment. My daughter H is very like him and always unwraps with care trying to preserve the wrapping and looking carefully at each present. My son J is more like me, tearing the paper off ferociously and not stopping until all are unwrapped.

What kind of present unwrapper are you?

I'll have a drink for my Dad this christmas!