Fourteen years

We remember well the day we went to collect our new puppy, from a house in Morecambe.

Merlin was ready and waiting for us, and two excited children had him in a box in the back of the car in no time.

They were disappointed when he fell asleep on the way home, but fortunately he woke up as the car came to a halt!

This was our first photograph of him, taken on one of those old cameras where you had to send off the film and wait! The photo has been rather knocked about and pinned to the notice board, but when both Tom and Gill were home together today we thought it was the moment to do a retake, fourteen years later.

Merlin has aged quite noticeably in the last year, and is rather doddery.

Tom has just got engaged and is to be married in the summer.

Gillian has grown up into a lovely young woman.

The car has been replaced several times.

Underneath it all though they are still the same happy members of our family.

Apart from the car!