Dear Liam and Francesca,

It’s now the weekend and we hope you’re having a good time. I’ve no idea whether you will ever read this either of you but, if you do and Liam can’t read yet, will you keep reminding him that he has a Grandma and Grandad here who love him please Francesca? He’s very young and, one day, he won’t remember these years and that means he won’t remember us so can you tell him all about us, please? We know that you’ll remember us so you can tell him what you remember.

Can you tell him that when I saw him the other day, all I wanted to do was to pick him up – but I couldn’t. I just keep thinking about him standing there as I walked past him. It makes me feel ashamed to have done that – to have walked past but I didn’t want to make things worse. I didn’t know what else to do. Please apologise for me.

I know that, in these letters, I tend to talk to you most, Francesca but that’s because Liam couldn’t read them yet. However, he might be really grown up by the time he sees them so I ought to talk to both of you equally. I’ll try to do that.

We talked to Auntie Anne yesterday and she sends her love to both of you and hopes you’re well. She’s been reading my book for me and giving me comments on it and that’s very useful. I miss the book-writing sessions we used to have, Francesca and I hope that you’re still writing and still have lots of ideas for books.

Grandma’s just got back from shopping so I’m going downstairs now to see how she got on.

Look after yourselves,

Keep Smiling,

Love,

Grandma and Grandad.

Dear Francesca and Liam,

It’s coming up to home time and you’ll soon be home from school, ready for the weekend. I hope you’re looking forward to this. We wish that we could be able to see you over the next few days as we used to do.

Grandma and I find it really hard to believe what is happening. We keep expecting to see you around the house. I wake up early in the morning and listen for ‘Gandad, Gandad’ coming from Liam’s room but it’s all quiet. It’s all sadly strange.

In the mornings now, I can’t say good morning to the gerbils but I do have a chat with the little doggy you got Francesca at that last birthday party we went to. I hope that you don’t mind but I’ve given her a name. I call her Nell. It reminds me of two people who I love a lot, you and your great grandma. She sits on the bonnet of your helicopter (that’s Little Nell and not your Great Grandma!) and I’ve enclosed a picture of her so that you don’t forget what she looks like.

She’s sitting inside Francesca’s goggles and the scarf is just behind her. The helicopter still sits in the living room, waiting for its pilot to return.

Grandma has gone out to buy Becky and Lee’s wedding presents and she should be back soon. I’m working on my book.

That’s all, once again,

Look after yourselves,

All our Love,

Grandma and Grandad xx

Dear Liam and Francesca,

Hope you’re well. Grandma and I are surviving.

I’ve just seen Liam with your Daddy only a few minutes ago. I went up to the Post Office to get the new Tax Disc for my car and when I walked past the music shop, your Dad had just got out of the car and Liam was standing on the pavement facing him. I had to walk round him to get past. Fortunately he didn’t see me else I’m sure he would have said ‘Gandad’ and I didn’t want to cause any trouble. It was great to see you, Liam, even if I had to ignore you. I didn’t want to ignore you, really, it was just what I’ve been told to do. I’m glad that there was a queue in the Post Office as I had to try and think of something nice before I was served.

Your Dad had a small blue violin case on his shoulder. Does that mean you’re learning the violin Francesca? I’m really pleased if you are and, if so, I hope that you get on with it. I’ve been thinking of cleaning up your cornet and putting it away safely for you. I guess you won’t need it now if you’re playing the violin. I hope that the bit of music you did with me will help you with your new instrument. I’m sad that I don’t know what you’re both doing anymore and would love to know.

Grandma went on her Thursday walk today. She didn’t go last week because it was half-term holiday and people might have asked her where you were. However, one of the ladies asked today how you were and sends her best wishes. Did you know, Liam that your sister used to go with Grandma on her walks round the Welsh Harp? We’ve still got Francesca’s binoculars here. She used these for looking at the birds and one of the other walkers used to let her look through his really powerful ones. P’raps one day, she’ll show you how they work, although I guess it won’t be with the ones here.

Well, I think that that’s all for now,

You’ll probably be down the road having dinner as I write this so, have a nice dinner,

Lots of Love,

Grandma and Grandad

Dear Francesca and Liam,

I’ve just got back from the band and we had the AGM tonight. I managed to park at the top of the road tonight which is unusual. Somebody who was on tea duty brought a chocolate cake and I cleaned up the plate when I helped her to wash up. I’ll need to go and clean my teeth well when I’ve done this. I like doing this because there’s your two toothbrushes in the bathroom and they remind me of you two when you’re getting ready for bed. I’ve taken a picture of them below here:

That’s your strawberry-flavoured toothpaste at the front, along with Grandma’s and mine.

How are you? Hope you had a good day at school and nursery. That’s all we can do at the moment really, to hope that you’re well and happy.

I’m off now, I’m really tired tonight,

Lots of Love from

Grandma and Grandad xxx

Dear Liam and Francesca,

Your cousin Becky rang yesterday and told us that you can’t go to her wedding. She’s very sad that her favourite flower girl won’t be there. I hope that you’ll remember the beautiful dress that she bought for you for the wedding and that, one day, you’ll get to wear one like it. She told us that she’d bought a little bolero top to go with it and some hair pieces so that you could choose which one you wanted. Becky and Lee send their love and hope that one day, you will be able to go and stay with them again.

She said that she won’t forget you, even though you’re not there. We’ll never forget you either. I just have to sit on the settee and close my eyes and there you are, our beautiful young granddaughter dancing and acting for us, free as a cloud.

We remember Liam too, in all sorts of ways. P’raps what I remember best is when he came home from somewhere and he’d run over to me shouting ‘Gandad, Gandad, Gandad’ By the time he got to me, he would have already lost his shoes and his coat and would then climb onto my knee and just sit there. It was lovely!

Well, my dears,

Look after yourselves,

We Love You,

Grandma and Grandad.

P.S. Grandma’s exercise class was near Wembley Stadium. Can you remember when we drove around it when it was first built? You wanted your Uncle Joachim to take you to a football match there one day. I’ll remind him for you so he doesn’t forget. Gandad

Dear Francesca and Liam,

It’s back to school today. I hope you enjoyed meeting all your friends again when you went back.

Was it a great half term? I bet it was nice for you Liam, having your sister at home in the afternoons after nursery. I hope that you managed to play together nicely.

It’s a shame that half term is over and we were not able to see you. We’d thought of lots of things that we could have done together but will have to wait until that becomes possible again. We’ll keep thinking of trips we could make for next time it becomes possible.

Tonight it’ll be your ballet class. We were very impressed when you danced for us last week. Grandma and I will put on that Bregovic CD once more and imagine you dancing to it. We’ll keep that bit of floor clear for you for when you come to dance once more.

Grandma’s gone out to try a new exercise class to see how she gets on with it. I hope that she enjoys it and meets some nice people there so that she can keep going.

Look after yourselves both of you,

We love you lots,

Grandma and Grandad xxx

Dear Francesca and Liam,

It’s a bit late tonight when I’m writing but Grandma and I have just got back from a film club meeting. At this moment, you’ll both be in bed and tucked up asleep. I hope you’re having sweet dreams.

I guess you took the gerbils today to their new home. Did it look like a nice place where they went? I hope so. We miss them quite a lot. They were quite noisy at times and I used to check them first thing in the morning when I got up. I miss doing that now. I suppose that you’ll miss them, even though you only used to see them up here.

We miss them as well because they reminded us of you two. Mind you, we don’t need them to do that as we never stop thinking and talking about you and wonder when we’ll see you again. I hope that won’t be too long.

Well, it’s quite late now and we’re off to bed, so sweet dreams,

We love you lots,

Grandma and Grandad

Hello Francesca and Liam,

It’s the weekend now and I hope you’ve had a good day today. I hope that you enjoyed your half-term holiday. Did you both get time to play together? I know that your brother can be quite a handful, Francesca but I hope that you can keep getting on with him OK. Do you know that you were about his age when you came to live with us. You were quite a handful then. Everything in the house had to be just above your reach else you investigated it. Nothing was safe. We all loved you, though!

Did you know that it was me who had to get you to sleep when you didn’t want to go to bed. I used to go in our bedroom and walk around with you until you went off to sleep. I enjoyed doing that as I used to talk to you and sing a bit while I walked. You slept in the travel cot then, the one that Liam used to sleep in until a couple of weeks ago. Then you moved into the bed that Lian slept in last weekend.

I hope that you both sleep well tonight and that you have a nice story read to you.

For now then, sleep tight,

Lots of Love from

Grandma and Grandad xxx

Dear Liam and Francesca,

It’s Friday today and we hope that you’re both well. Your Daddy has just come and fetched the gerbils from us. It’s quite sad to see them go after they’ve stayed with us so long. I’ve put a picture of me holding them them underneath here which we took this morning, just so that we could remember them. I don’t know which is Aran and which is Daran but the first one I took out wee’d on my hand and made it all messy!

This is another picture of them in their cage.

After Grandma read this, she told me that it was the black one which wet my hand. he had a bit of a nibble at it as well. I’m sure that was just his way of saying thanks for looking after them.

We hope that they go to a good new home on Sunday and I’m sure that you do too.

Well, that’s all for now,

Love you,

Grandma and Grandad

Hello both of you!

It’s Thursday today and I hope you’re having a good half-term holiday, Francesca. I hope that you’re getting to see all your friends. It was nice to see them all at the weekend at Emma’s party wasn’t it? I’m glad you had a good time there. It was funny us getting there half an hour early, wasn’t it. Still, it didn’t seem too long to wait.

I did go to the band last night and got through it OK. The road was busy when I got back and I had to park quite near to your house. I measured the distance from your house to ours. We’ve never done that before, have we? It was only 77 paces. That’s not very far is it? That means that you could be only 77 paces away when I write this. I do hope that you are enjoying yourself, wherever you are.

Can you remember when we’d just started making the helicopter near the shed how we saw the first crocus open? Well, I’ve just looked out the kitchen window and now they’re all open. That was really quick wasn’t it? Only a couple of days and they’re all flowering!

If I keep talking to you, Francesca, that doesn’t mean that I’m not thinking about Liam as well. Can you tell him what we’ve said, please? Both Grandma and I think a lot about both of you. I know that he can be a bit boistrous at times but you will look after him won’t you? I know that you both love each other a lot.

Lots of Love from Grandad