Val 16th February 2024

What I’ll miss about my dad.. speeding ahead on his mobility scooter taking forever to take a family picture arriving really early when he came to visit giving me a hard time for being late telling me how many hours he slept last night (average 10) checking the temperature gauge outside checking the temperature gauge inside finding new things that he managed to fix with gaffer tape giving me a hard time for mentioning an expiry date on food in the fridge eating apfelmus and stollen playing endless chess games Dad beating me endlessly at chess being worried that jess the dog would knock the chess set flying mid game watching a big footy match, rugby match, any match Dad loving his formula one, especially Lewis Hamilton winning having a small beer on his balcony Followed by a port or 2 watching Andrew Marr or Laura on a Sunday morning watching election results till the early hours Moaning together about Brexit daily phone calls (unless he was out at tescos or watching planet earth) telling him about my travels and diving listening to dad tell stories about all his travels walking his regular walk round the block at Highwood mill going to strawberry fields, Johansson’s café, Amberley tea rooms laughing together about Inge/ my mum and all our happy memories crying together about Inge/ my mum and all our sadder memories and lastly I'll miss dads love, his dry sense of humour and his endless joy in living life to the full, to his very last breath