Never forget

Down to Newcastle today for my dad’s birthday. He’s 86, but still totally with it.

In surprise news my mum had received a letter to let her know that my Grandma (who died over 30 years ago now) is going to get a plaque on the ‘Local Heroes’ walk down at the quayside - a Geordie version of the Hollywood walk of fame - taking her place alongside such legends as Alan Shearer, Bobby Robson, Sting and Ant & Dec.

My Grandma was a local suffragette - my favourite story is about the time she disrupted a council meeting from the viewing gallery, getting thrown out pretty brutally for her troubles. When she came back for a second go a few days later the council officials found their path to throwing her down the stairs a second time blocked by a particularly huge miner friend of hers who wasn’t getting out of the way any time ever. So a compromise was agreed where she got to deliver her speech in full and leave whenever she felt like it. She was also a local councillor for decades.

I’m really proud.