I love surprises.  Some people hate them and I often wonder why.   I'm still coming down from a week of astounding surprises that have left me, uncharacteristically, speechless. My precious mum's funeral was last Thursday (12th November) and the first thing to share...

Buzzing traffic noise and a softly snoring dog woke me this morning and Mum's voice was saying "it's so beautifully sunny, get out there and enjoy it. Do you know that Bognor is the sunniest place in England?". She also told me that she was peaceful and that tears are...

Mum, Me and hospitals - not often a good mix. As she's never had to stay in one for any major medical reason, apart from giving birth twice and terrorising the maternity wards with her undiagnosed, off-the-scale crazy PND, she doesn't get why anyone needs to go to...

I was four when Mum clapped her hands together, shouted "Oh good" and hugged the doctor who'd just diagnosed my itching, spotty body with chickenpox. Well, that's not very nice is it? Your mum glad that you're ill. I spent the next couple of weeks convinced that my...

I called Mum earlier to wish her a happy 88th birthday for tomorrow. "I'm NOT going to bingo - I hate it!" she yelled at me. "OK, OK what's the problem with bingo, Mum?" "I HATE bingo and I WON'T go. And I'm NOT fat".   A little bit of mental back-tracking and I...