Dear grandad,
It’s not many years since I saw you my awesome grandad, the only grandad that I knew. Since you died in 1999 I’ve felt a gaping hole in my heart to the man who taught me all things that have made me me, because grandad you were the main man in my life for many years, those early important years.
The day you died
I hate starting here but let’s run with it. In was February 1999 and I’d been at high school only a few short months. I knew things were not right as uncle Andy was home from Canada. But off I went to school, mum said she was going to the hospital to see you. It was a strange day. I found out later that the moment you died, me, Carolyn and Chris all looked at our watches. I came out of school looking for mum or dad who were picking me up. However Gail a family friend said mum had been held up and she was here instead, I knew you’d gone. I walked into the house and everyone was there looking sad, my heart broke.
I went into my bedroom and put my music on, this was the day music became important to me. I cried, Carolyn came and talked to me we hugged and cried then she had Togo.
I cried, mum said I didn’t have Togo to school the next day but I did, I didn’t know what else todo, I shouted at the German teacher and cried some more then came home!
All I knew was it hurt, I felt a sadness I’d never felt before, my hero was gone.
My grandad, My hero
My grandad was my hero and I don’t even think he realised. I loved him so very much quite honestly I could have stayed with him 24/7 and not even been bothered. He use to walk me miles, he taught me how to be kind and how important family was, because family was very important to grandad.
The other thing he introduced me to was football and his love of Birmingham city which was his home club, his local club well until he moved out of Birmingham to work on the railways and eventually ended up in my home town where they settled my nan & grandad and my uncles, aunty and my mum!
Grandad was a born and breed Brunmie and he loved his home city, although I think he enjoyed his semi rural retirement! Grandad had many jobs two in particular stand out to me his job at newway as he’d have to travel to the next town for work, me and the cat would sit waiting him for him well I’d stay inside and the cat would be on the path!
His second job was milkman hand, he had retired at this point but he hated sitting around doing nothing! So he helped my uncle on the milk round, he totally loved it he made friends everywhere and he loved chatting to people!
Memories
I thought I’d share a few memories,
We was on holiday in brean, Somerset and grandad and I decided Togo up the fort, his favourite place to visit. My mum and nan stayed in the cafe, we walked up 100 steps and walking over the downs towards the fort, we did this every year at least once but this time the mist came down really quickly! Mum must have rang for help as next thing I knew a man in a landrover was picking us up! My grandad wasn’t even phased, I wasn’t scared I knew grandad would make it alright.
Our favourite thing todo was walk in the countryside, he’d often ask the farmer for apples! It was great we’d go with my cousins Carolyn and Chris on Sunday’sand he’d blow his whistle to make us all go single file even to this day I think of that whistle and what it meant.
When my dad brought home our new pet, a black Labrador called Ben. My grandad started walking him when mum was pregnant and dad at work the reason this makes me laugh is Ben was a big healthy Labrador and grandad was in his senior years and you’d see Ben before grandad, my mum use to say Ben was taking grandad for a walk!!
My favourite memory though was just me and my grandad sat on the sofa with my teddy monkey watching TV or listening to the radio, I loved that just me and him cuddling and I often feel asleep
The final words
My grandad was called Charlie, to his friends anyway! To me he was grandad the most amazing man who never let me down, always loved me and made me who I am today. He was a great man, very active he loved his walks and always happy.
I miss you so much grandad I hope I have made you proud and I hope you know how much I love you, my hero my grandad
Vicky xx
