Letter 11

Dear Clank
I went to a surprise 80th birthday party the other week in Plumstead. I drove over as I was taking Christine and she isn't doing public transport at the moment. That side of the river has changed a lot, and we had a fantastic night. On the way home I decided to go via Griffin road. That brought out a turmoil of emotions. I stopped at the church that was on the corner along from Barbara's old house and thought about all the weekends we had walked that road to go and see Barbara and then back again to catch the bus to Woolwich.
I told Christine about the night we met Steve Steadman and Dave Cammack on the way to the ferry. She doesn't really know much about that and I explained that Woolwich on a Saturday was a hot place to pull and that most of the blokes we met were all good clean fun. Young men who had just joined the army who were probably home sick and wondering what they had let themselves in for. That group of blokes went past asking for our chips and we gave them the brush off, then when they were almost at the end of the road Barbara screamed at the top of her lungs:' OYE Want a chip?'  and about 20 blokes did an about turn and ran back up the road towards us. LOL. I think at one point we had about 2 blokes on each arm and then they whittled down to just Dave and Steve.

It is still hard but I am coming to terms with you not being here, but not a day goes by when I don't think about you. I had a dream about you the other night, I was holding your hand and promising that I would look out for your Mum and kids, and I do as best as I can. Not being close physically doesn't help, but I am going to make the effort to go to see your Mum before Christmas and spend a bit of quality time with her. She is struggling with Paul not getting any money and the thought that he may be going to Norway after Christmas. The doctor is worried about her heart, it is beating too fast, but any fool can see that it is just plain broken.

I was talking to an old colleague the other day and I told her that you had died, she reminded me of a conversation we had in the office once when I was telling Christine that you were the only person who knew me like I know myself. I don't like being the only person who knows me truely for who I am.

Dad is being awkward, he made me laugh the other day, I asked if he had heard from the insurance company about when they were likely to sort out the subsidence, I asked him about a form he had been sent and whether he had filled it in and returned it. I got this sheepish look so I said: ' Oh silly me, fancy forgetting that if you ignore the form, the cracks will just mend themselves.' He appreciates sarcasm. I got the form, read it, filled it in them made him write a cheque for the excess, which he said he didn't know how much it was, but I told him it was on his policy. So now we wait, I am hoping they will tell him the kitchen needs to be gutted. Oh how I want them to destroy that awful kitchen.............

The weather has turned. We have had such a beautiful summer, you would have loved it. health allowing, you would have been able to spend a lot of time outside. I am gutted that you missed it. Now winter and the dark evenings draw upon us and it's time to get my winter woolies out of the wardrobe.

Anyway my lovely, time for me to go and get on with the dinner. I miss you dear friend and sometimes I wish I had a magic wand to bring you back and make it all better. How popular would I be if I could?!!

Lots Of Love
Me xx
P.S I have had an awful virus, been off work for 4 days, but it is back to the grind tomorrow.