Nigel and Pete,

The advantage of living by the sea, it is always here, and a warm welcome chez Wendy and Billy also, we have been known to have hot soup and bangers and mash at the beach hut in the winter, great after a brisk walk wearing many layers!! Sometimes is the best time as the summer trippers are gone and a deserted beach and winter sky can be spectacular. Short notice is often the best way to arrange a day out in this house so watch the weather forcast and pm me at any time! We have a few outings to look forward too, my son is 40 next week so we are off to a hotel on the 30th to celebrate. He has Giles Brandreth at the theatre on the 6th December so we are going for a jolly evening. Best of all I am going to the carol concert in aid of Children and the Arts in Sloane Square on the 9th with some wonderful readings by Brian Blessed and Penelope Wilton and others.

I too dislike these dark evenings, feel a bit trapped indoors if I am honest. Bless mum, she is deteriorating quite quickly now, much more confused and not as happy in herself. Last week she shouted at me and threw something at me . I know that it is totally the dementia and not my lovely mum but I had to take myself upstairs and have a good cry.However I read the letters that she wrote to my father during the war and reminded myself of the vibrant young woman she was then. I have finished her memory book it covers her life from 1923 when she was born until this autumn when she had her 90th birthday, full of memories from her letters, memories from my cousins, and many many photographs. The last page has a photo of Scarlet ( Bunny) Reuben and Prudence, my grandchildren with the message saying" nanny we love you this is your book of memories with love from all of us"

Mum spends many hours reading the book, she takes it everywhere, last week she took it to the day centre and the manager read it to all the people there, it stimulated memories and they had an animated morning remembering where they were when The Crystal Palace burnt down, what they did during the war, the fancy dress party when the Queen was crowned in 1953 and lots more!

I really enjoyed putting the book together and I am going to send a copy to all my cousins for Christmas, it is our story too.

sending love to all the crew
coffee pot is on help yourself

Wendy xxxxxxxxxxxxxx