My lovely Dad, or Gramps as he is know around here, has started writing about his memories of my childhood.
He is Scottish, looks like Victor Meldrew, is selectively deaf, often ridiculous and always amusing … here he is;
Holiday Memories (1)
The first memory is one you will probably not remember for reasons that will become clear. When you were very young, toddler size, we always spent at least one week a year in Galloway in Scotland. This was a family pilgrimage. I had spent many happy childhood holidays there and we carried on the tradition.
On this particular occasion we were strolling along a street in a gentile, quiet fishing town called Kirkudbright (pronounced Kirk-coo-brie). Licking, slurping and munching on various flavours of ice cream in cones, your mum, you and your sister peered into the gift shop windows that lined the street while I, uninterested, as many men are, in window shopping, moved aimlessly ahead and found myself out of sight around a corner. At that very moment a thochtie (I have recently rediscovered this wonderful Scots word which means idea) came to me. I would place the end of my cone on my nose, hide in a handy doorway, leap out and give you a fright. Hilarious!
I (thought) I could hear you all approaching, getting closer. I leapt out of my hiding place, the end of the ice cream cone a snug fit on my nose, and adopted a stance reminisant of a New Zealand rugby player performing the Haka with my tongue extended, accompanied by the essential range of fierce vocals.
I’m not sure who was more surprised, me or the family I had never seen in my entire life.
As the mother and father of the clearly traumatised family shepherded their now crying child away from the scene you, your sister and your mother appeared. It turned out that you had all entered the last gift shop before my chosen place of ambush only to be substituted by the unfortunate family as they left the same shop.
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Helen P on November 30, 2009
I am sitting here cackling like a loon now and when I go to Tesco in a minute no doubt the other shoppers will be wondering what on earth that strange woman is giggling to herself about! LOL
Thank you, that is a wonderful story!
admin on November 30, 2009
Great. I love to think that you will be giggling to yourself whilst doing the weekly shop!
Helen P on November 30, 2009
Weekly shop all done now and I didn’t get any strange looks! I hope you’re going to post some more of your dad’s stories!
admin on November 30, 2009
I have two more in the pipeline and he is writing more. I’ll have a regular slot for Gramps!
Emily O on November 30, 2009
Very funny! Looking forward to more guest posts from Gramps!
admin on November 30, 2009
He’s writing away so I should have one a week for a while!
Dulwich Divorcee on November 30, 2009
Gramps is utterly fab, love it!
admin on November 30, 2009
He is, I’m sure you can now see where I get some of my natural ability to find myself in embarrassing situations from!
sue_bailey on November 30, 2009
Love it – there’s a big grin across my face!
admin on November 30, 2009
There’s more to come with Holiday Memories (2)!
Liz (LivingwithKids) on November 30, 2009
I think this is brilliant, he has a fantastic turn of phrase. My mum (78) recently joined a writing group and she’s started to write her memories (memoirs she calls them!) and they’re lovely to read.
admin on November 30, 2009
It’s great and something my children will love to read when they are older
Sparx on November 30, 2009
Haha! That’s a great story… did he get to apologise or did they just scurry away?
admin on November 30, 2009
I believe they left leaving my mother to berate (probably whilst laughing) my father
Bec on November 30, 2009
MORE GRAMPS!!! I WANT MORE GRAMPS!!!!!!!!
I heart him sooooo!
admin on November 30, 2009
I was thinking of you as I put this post up. Think you may be his number 1 fan.
claire on November 30, 2009
Brilliant!!! Can’t wait fpr the next one. really!
Julia on November 30, 2009
Great that Gramps is writing back. Love to hear stories from grandparents; this one made my day. BTW, me and family went to visit Kirkudbright during the summer. We have friends who live in Galloway.,What a beautiful part of the world.
Insomniac Mummy on November 30, 2009
You couldn’t make this stuff up!
Vic on November 30, 2009
Oops!
Having spent many a holiday wandering around thos same gift shops, I can just imagine that happening!
Mwa on November 30, 2009
Poor ambushed family!
Rosie Scribble on November 30, 2009
Ooh, he is fabulous. Now I know where you get your sense of humour from! ‘The incident’ with the ice-cream cone will stick in my mind for a while! Gramps really does need to start his own blog!
Bubblegumbodw on November 30, 2009
Lol, how fabulous! Look forward to reading more from Gramps. X
Jodie at Mummy Mayhem on December 1, 2009
Oh, how I love Gramps! So, so funny! So descriptive too, that I imagined it all.
Look forward to more! Good on you Gramps!
Heather on December 1, 2009
That is hillarious! Gramps rocks!
Pippa on December 4, 2009
Gramps keep writing… and I have been to Kirkudbright, I was sick when I smelt the seaweed… TMI?