Dear Liam and Francesca

Dear Liam and Francesca,

We’re writing this in an internet cafe in Frankfurt. We came down here today by train from Leer. It was quite a long journey and we had to change trains at Cologne.

We had a bit of a walk round Frankfurt earlier and remembered quite a bit of it from our previous visit. The hotel is quite nice and the people who run it seem to be Russian.

The weather is still nice here and so far, we’ve been really lucky to have good weather on this trip.

That’s all for now, we’ll write tomorrow.

All our love,
Grandma and Grandad xxxx

Dear Francesca and Liam,

Grandma and I went to the hospital today to make arrangements for her operation. Grandma’s got a cataract and she’s got to have it seen to. It took hours and hours to get everything done. They had to make sure that her eye was ready and then to do measurements and lots of tests. By the time we’d finished, we’d even managed to work out how the tea and coffee machine worked (it seemed to be a bit temperamental!) and to show a few other people. Grandma has to wait now for them to give her a date for the operation.

It’s not actually a hospital we went to, it’s a special clinic on Colindeep Lane, quite near to the McDonalds where you both went to a party on the last weekend we saw you. Just everywhere we go around here reminds us of you.

While we were sitting and waiting, Grandma reminded me that when I went for my second cataract operation, Grandma had left her phone on and we got a call while we were in the hospital. One of the nurses looked at us rather annoyed because she thought that the phone should have been turned off. We were really pleased that it was still on, though because you’ll never guess what the phone call was about.

That was the phone call when your Daddy told us that our first Grandchild was just born and that it was a girl. Then Grandma heard a little cry and that was you, Francesca!!!!!!!

Wouldn’t it have been nice today for one of our phones to ring and for one of you two to say Hello Grandma and Grandad. That’s what we dream will happen one days. We’ll keep dreaming, you know.

Time now for us to go and dream. I hope that you’re both having great dreams as I write,
We’ll talk tomorrow, sweet dreams and lots and lots and lots of love,
from,
Grandma and Grandad xxxx

Dear Liam and Francesca,

Today, we went over to see some people in Essex and afterwards went to see your Auntie Juliet and your nice new cousin, Lucy. I know you’ll love her when you get to see her.

We stayed for a while and had something to eat and then set off back home as I have quite a lot of work to do before I set off for Italy on Thursday.

You’ll be tucked up in bed now, so sleep tight, we’ll talk tomorrow,
Night, night from,
Grandma and Grandad xxxx

Dear Liam and Francesca,

Nearly at the end of the Easter holidays, eh? Still, you’ve got the weekend to look forward to, haven’t you. Here, it’s and absolutely beautiful day, hope it is too where you are. I guess that you can get out quite into the countryside a lot where you are and enjoy the good weather.

I’m going to carry on tidying up my novel ready to send it to an agent today so I should soon know if they like it. I hope so. I know that you two would like it to be successful for me.

So, have a great day today,
Grandma and I will be thinking about you all day,
Lots and lots and lots of love, from,
Grandma and Grandad xxxx

Dear Liam and Francesca,

It’s a late letter today because I couldn’t get onto the internet last night. I tried to do your letter when I got back from the band and my computer just wouldn’t let me on.

I hope that you had a good day today and that you’re both tucked up safe and warm in bed.

Yesterday, Thomas came to see us. He stayed here while his Mum and Dad and Lucy went shopping in Brent Cross. He wanted to write a book and put it on his web site so we worked on my computer and did that. It reminded me of the days when you two would sit on my knee up here and do things on my computer. I really do miss those times. I guess they’re just gone, eh?

Sleep tight then and have some sweet dreams, dream of all you want to do in your life and I hope that it will happen,
Bye for now,
Grandma and Grandad xxxx

Hello, both of you,

It’s Grandad back again. I hope that you can put up with my letters. They’re not as good as Grandma’s, are they? She wrote a lovely letter to you yesterday.

I’m back from Bristol now and pretty tired. It was funny to be so close to where you two are but not to be able to see you. I hope that you’ve had a good Easter so far and are looking forward to the rest of the holiday. We’re busy packing everything away and moving things around. Our next job is to empty the bedroom so that the decorator can get in there to paint it. We have to do that tomorrow.

Well, Liam and Francesca, we’ll keep you in touch with what’s going on,
Sweet dreams and look after each other,
We’ll dream of you, love and kisses from,
Grandma and Grandad xxxx

Dear Liam and Francesca,

It’s later tonight when I write so you’ll be tucked up nice and warm in bed.

I’ve been doing some more sorting today. I’m also getting ready to go to Bristol tomorrow. We’re doing a gig there tomorrow night. It would be great if I could call and see you when I’m over there. Perhaps one day, eh.

I hope that my tooth is better for tomorrow. It’s still hurting now and has been quite painful at times. I don’t fancy playing tomorrow night with the toothache! here’s hoping!

Sleep well and pleasant dreams, my dears,
All our love,
grandma and Grandad xxxx

Dear Francesca and Liam,

This is another early letter so you’ll just be arriving at school/nursery as I write.

I have to do some more clearing up today. I’m slowly getting Great-grandma’s room tidier and am finding all sorts of things. I found a lot of stuff which belonged to your Great-grandfather. That’s my father’s dad. I found some of his books from when he was a student and some of the certificates he got from the college. He was studying geology and physics because he worked in a coal mine. I also found some photos of him. It’s very strange looking at photos of someone you never knew but who was so closely related to you.

I do hope that it doesn’t get like that for you, Liam. You won’t remember us soon and that will be a great shame. I would just love to talk to you both to tell you about our family history. I think that it’s important for you to know all these things.

Well, I’ll try to write something about our family so that, if we never meet again, you’ll know something of your family.

Until my next letter, bye,

All our love, Grandma and Grandad xxxx

Dear Francesca and Liam,

Did you know that I keep on hoping to find out how you are and where you are? Well, last night, I found a newspaper article on the internet. I’ll bet that you know what I mean, Francesca but do you, Liam? It told me that your sister won Ed the Ted in a raffle. It also told me what school you go to, Francesca and that you’re in Lime Class. It was really, really wonderful to get some news of you after all this time.

I suppose that you’ve seen the article, if not, it’s here:

Ed the Ted Article

I loved the photo in the article, it’s the first time we’ve seen your face, Francesca for over a year. It’s funny, though, you winning that Teddy. It looks very similar to the teddy which you won at the Barnet Band Concert, doesn’t it? I remember how happy and exited you were when you won that one. Did you know that the teddy you won then was given to Barnet band by a ???? player whose name is Laurence , funny, eh, as that’s the name of your school except that your’s is spelt Lawrence with a ‘w’.

What really made us happy was that you looked happy on the photograph and you know that’s what Grandma and I want for you both – for you to be happy.

We’ve had a look at the school’s web site and it looks a really great place to be so we’re happy about that too. We hope that you’re well settled in there. We’ll keep an eye on it now and see how you get on.

We’ll keep in touch,
All our love,
Grandma and Grandad xxxx