Tuesday 31 December 2013

Day 299

New Years Eve, dear Reader. It would always be between Christmas and the New Year that growing up we would go visit my grandparents. We would always travel to Scarborough where my grandparents lived by train. I would always have my walkman with me for the journey. In fact back then I permanently had my walkman on anytime anyplace, anyway. The journey would take us about a hour and half from where we lived on the train to get to Scarborough station. Now when ever I listen to Nik Kersahw's album The Riddle I am transported back to those train journeys, as for a while it was the only cassette I had to play on my walkman.

My grandparents loved Christmas and always made it special. All the family would meet at their house. Spare chairs would be taken out of the shed and put around the dining table so we could all squeeze in. There was always plenty to eat. I have to say that it was not only my grandparents that made a big thing about Christmas but my parents did too. My dad would always trim the house with bright trimmings hung from the ceiling and mum would buy a lot of presents at Christmas. We got loads and loads of presents when we were children at Christmas time. People thought we were spoilt. Not through the year just at Christmas we were!

When we would arrive at my grandparents house as soon as the door opened the dogs would run to greet you, making a real fuss of you. There was a lot of love from my grandparents and it always felt a safe environment to be in and was filled with a lot of love. Back then in the 1980's I thought these Christmas get togethers would last forever, not knowing how fast the clock was ticking, and that for me then the time spent with my grandparents was precious and to treasure every moment. All the extended family filled that house and we had the best of times.

For today those days are over. Those family times now gone, but happy memories remain. Ironically for two people who simple adored spending time with family at Christmas, and who both really loved Christmas, both my grandparents passed away at this time of  year. But I do not choose to make it make me feel sad at this time of the year, knowing this would never be what my grandparents would want, instead I choose to continue their tradition and make a big thing of Christmas. and to make it as special for my family as they did for me.

When I got older I moved away from my family and due to bad weather it was impossible to drive to North Yorkshire at this time of year. So we had to miss out on a visits. We often did try hard to drive but North Yorkshire snow is a difficult task to get through. I feel at this time sometimes my family may have been disappointed with me and felt that I had let them down. But with two small children back then it was simply too dangerous to risk driving over the motorway and when we did risk it for me and the husband it was a really scary driving experience at times.

So I do wish I could have lived nearer. I do wish we had not ended up so far away, but I also know I did my best to get there when I could. I also know if people have not experienced the drive for themselves how they would not understand just how dangerous it gets. Living where we do now you have to cross the motorway over the Pennines and that is the worst part of the journey.

But when we did make it we would have such a good time and my grandma always bought presents that she knew you would like and she put a lot of thought into those gifts. I miss those times so much now and if I am ever lucky to be a grandma I hope that I will be just like mine.

Evening all x x x

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