I was going through an old CD earlier dating back to 1999. It was actually containing back-up of much older content from when I first started using a PC in 1995 and even then, from some time in the 60’s and a digitized few tracks of my family. My uncles, my nan and grandad and my mum and dad.

It was weird hearing them again. My uncle Colin is always fresh in my mind and so distinctive. Hearing my granddad was most touching as he has been dead since 1968. Clearly I could not have known much about the man but I do remember bits and pieces of him. He loved to play jokes on us kids often scaring the shit out of us or chasing us about. He played the harmonica really well too. God Bless the Prince of Wales is popping into my mind but I can’t for the life of me remember what it sounded like! He also settles as a very patient man in my mind for the times he spent, possibly hours, piecing together Lego models for myself and my sister. In some ways, and this is the first time this has crossed my mind, he reminds me of how my dad is now but then, he was my dads uncle so I suppose there have to be traits there.

There were times during the audio when I thought I heard my mum. I can’t be certain as I still have no real memory of what she sounded like but I’d like to think it was her. For certain it sounded like they were having the sort of fun we just don’t have any more. Can we imagine just sitting around the piano and knocking out a tune with the whole family singing along because the whole family knew the same sort of music? There are so few songs around any more that lend themselves to that sort of thing.

I did some editing on those tracks and cleaned them up to the point where I could hear the reel to reel tape recorder in the background! Amazingly, on hearing it I found I could also smell it. It’s strange how our memory works at times!

This was probably a pointless exercise but I sent a copy on CD to my uncle Colin, he’s the only one of the three kids that my nan had that is still alive. My mum died back in 1986 and my uncle Alf just a few months back. I have no expectations of getting anything by way of return but thought he may appreciate it. I also included all the old pictures I managed to get hold of but there really were not very many. I didn’t inherit much by way of sentimentality, my sister took anything worth having and I don’t mean in financial terms. I mean simple things which would have reminded me of family. One of the things which did that I managed to hold onto but it was stolen during a burglary in 1994. It was a stupid thing, a cross on a chair and was worthless, probably got chucked by the thief but it meant a lot to me and was the only loss I cried over.

Went to see Jermaine today and he has settled really well into his newly refurbished room. All the colourful new lights we have placed in there must surely help and he seemed very relaxed on his new sofa.