Dear Francesca and Liam,

I’m writing this a bit earlier today as I’ve just got back in from the hospital. My friend Mary just had to go there because she hurt her leg and she asked me if I’d go and look after her son Jac for her. It reminded me of all those times when we’d been there with you two for various things. It also reminded me of the last time your Great Grandma stayed for Christmas and she had a bad leg and we took her there to get it looked after. Anyway, Mary is all patched up now and back at home with Jac.

Jac is just a bit younger than you, Liam and he came to our house one day when you were here, Liam. You played with him for quite a bit with your railway. Do you remember that?

I’m pretty tired this afternoon. We went out to see a band called Orkestra del Sol last night and it was quite late when we got back. It is a great band, it plays a few numbers like our band the TSMB. You’ve never actually seen our band, have you? You have danced to the band though, Francesca. Can you remember the CD which sits near the CD player. You used to put it in and dance for us. I’ve written a scene in my book where someone’s Grand-daughter does that. I knew how to write it because I’d seen you do it for us and will never forget.

I guess you probably never will see the actual band while I’m playing in it as I will probably be too old to still play in it by the time both of you are able to get along. I’m sure you’d both like the band and I hope that you want to play in a band one day.

Here’s a link to the band so you can hear it and see where we’re playing

When we got back in from the concert, your Grandma played a recorded message on the answerphone which someone had left. I thought that it was you, Francesca on the phone and ran into the room. Of course, it wasn’t! It was a bit upsetting because that was all I really wanted to hear, you two. I’ll have to wait.

Well, I hope that you’re having a nice day and I’ll be off now,
Grandma and I send our love,
We’re always thinking of you,
Grandma and Grandad xxxx

Dear Liam and Francesca,

Today is a bit of a special day for us. It’s now six weeks and one day since we saw you both. That’s the longest time ever that we’ve been apart from each other. You once went with your mother to South Africa for just six weeks and it’s now six weeks and one day since you came here. I can still remember how you grabbed hold of me at Heathrow when you came back, I don’t know who was happiest, you or me. It seems so sad that this time will grow before we see you again and that I won’t be able to meet you at the airport.

We have been told that it will be when you are adult and can decide for yourself that we can see you again. That means that we will have to wait eleven years until we see you Francesca and sixteen years until we see Liam. By the time I can see Liam, I will be 86 years old, that’s if I live that long. By then, you will have forgotten us and done so many other exciting things that you won’t want to be bothered with two old people. We won’t have forgotten you, though and we’ll never forget this last few weeks which have been some of the hardest in our lives.

We wonder how you two are feeling now. I suppose you are the most affected, Francesca because Liam is still quite young and probably not aware of what is going on. I do hope that it isn’t too hard for you. If we don’t manage to see you for all that time, you must get on with your life but please tell Liam about us as he won’t remember these years.

It’s about four o’clock now so you’ll be at home not far away,
We’re thinking of you both, look after yourselves,
Hugs and Kisses from,
Grandma and Grandad xxxx

Dear Francesca and Liam,

The weekend’s over now and it’s back to school and nursery tomorrow. This will be your last week for both of you. I hope that you aren’t too sad about that. Did you have a good weekend? I hope so. We didn’t do much we just stayed in.

I sorted through some of the things from your loft the other day and found these glasses in the picture below.

They are really thick aren’t they. Just imagine, that’s what your great-great-grandad looked through for the last few years of his life. Can you see how he mended one of them. He was always mending things your great-great Grandad. He was your Great-grandma’s dad who lived in Ripley. He was really good at making and mending things. He used to mend radios and televisions but nobody had ever taught him how to. He’d worked it out for himself. He was really very clever. He made the stool that I’m resting my feet on at the moment. He used to work at Denby Brickworks as a labourer which was just a job where he carried things around but he was much cleverer than that.

He used to like making things, so do I and so do you, Francesca. I wonder if you will grow up to like making things, Liam. I’d love to teach you how.

Great-grandma, Anne and I lived with your Great-great-grandad when we had nowhere else to live. We all lived in one little room, it was very crowded. We didn’t have a bathroom or anything like that, we had a little bath that you had to sit in. You had to wait until everyone else went out to have a bath and then had to be quick before they came back. It’s very different now.

I’d like to tell you more about your relatives one day as you don’t see any of them any more. Perhaps I’ll write more things about them, eh?

Well, I’m off now. You know that Grandma and I love you both lots, even though we don’t see you anymore. We hope that we will see you one day again soon,
Lots and lots and lots of love from us,
Grandma and Grandad xxxx

Dear Liam and Francesca,

Hope you’re having a good weekend, the weather hasn’t been too good, has it. I hope that you two weren’t out in that hail. When we got home some of it had settled on the garden. It reminded me of a few weeks ago when it snowed and you were off school. Do you remember, Francesca? You came up to us and the three of us made a snowlady and she had that black and white checked scarf on. It was a great snowlady wasn’t it? You had made one earlier at home and came down and patched her up a few times when she was falling over. That was when I was allowed to come to your house.

The same day Francesca was off school, you came up to our house Liam and we went out into the snow because you hadn’t seen it before. You jumped up and down on the trampoline and the snow bounced up and down. It looked really funny but you really enjoyed it.

Your Daddy came today to take his electric drill which was up at our house. I put it outside in the recycling bin for him to collect and Grandma saw him collect it when she looked out the window. It seems that someone is trying to take away all the memories of your family from this house. But, do you know what, Even if this house had everything taken away, the memories would still be there for us.

Do you know, even if we were no longer in this house, the memories will be just as strong. The memories are in our heads and hearts and no-one can take them away. Wherever you are in the world, wherever we are, those memories will be with us and very dear to us.

You’ll all be at home now, We hope you’re all well,
Lots and Lots of Love from,
Grandma and Grandad.

Dear Francesca and Liam,

It’s the weekend and I guess it’s going to be a busy weekend for you all, getting ready to go away. We would really like to help so we’re sad that we’re not allowed to. I hope that you get a chance to do something interesting this weekend and have a good time as well as packing.

Grandma saw you running into the house today Liam. She’d just got out of her car up here when she saw you run down your path. What a pity she wasn’t allowed just to say hello. She would have loved that.

We’ve now got everything of ours from your loft packed up ready to put into storage and we’ll take it tomorrow. It will be nice to have the house back to normal, or as normal as it can be without you two running around. Tomorrow I’ll be able to get my Wii balance board out again and see how fit I am. I hope that I’m not too out of shape.

So, have a nice weekend, have some fun,
With all our love from,
Grandma and Grandad xxxx

Dear Liam and Francesca,

It’s quite early when I write this, today so you’ll be just down the road at home. Could you do me a favour please, Francesca and read this for Liam if he can’t read this. Sorry Liam if you can but I don’t know when you might find my page, so I don’t know if you can read yet.

You’ve not got as many books here as Francesca because you hadn’t started reading yet when you were last here but I’ve put a picture of one of your books below. See if you recognise it.

I just can’t imagine how many times we’d read that together, you me and Grandma. When we used to read it together you used to like this page and you’d say ‘Grandad fix it’. That’s because it got ripped and I put a piece of tape across to hold it together. Can you see the tape on the picture. You knew all the shapes in the book and would tell me them when we turned the page.

I put some of you railway things next to it so you could see them as well. Do you still play with your railway? It was always the first thing you went to when you came in the living room. I could just hear you talking when I got all those pieces out of the box. I miss that a lot, us playing with the railway. I hope that we can do it again, one day.

Well, I’ve got to go out now, I’ll send you my love as I drive past your house. I hope that you can both feel it like a warm blanket wrapping round you. We’ll do that every day, Grandma and me, so,

Look after yourselves,
All our Love,
Grandma and Grandad xxxx

Dear Francesca and Liam,

Today I finished the first draft of my novel. That means I’ve written the whole story, right to the end. I’ve now got to start again and read it and make it better. It is quite a big job to do but I’ve enjoyed writing it.

Do you know, Liam that Francesca used to write stories. She wrote them first on paper and then we typed them in and added pictures and made books. You made lots of different books, didn’t you Francesca? Some were about things and some were stories which you’d made up for your friends. Francesca’s friends really loved the books that she made for them. They were really nice.

Tonight I’m off to Barnet Band. I’m going to take my baryton and see if I can get someone else to play first trumpet. I’m actually getting a bit old for playing the trumpet for a long time so I’m going to try playing something bigger. I hope that you two get to play an instrument as I’m sure that you’ll have a good time in bands and orchestras if you do learn something.

It’s a bit earlier tonight when I wrote this and you’ll probably both be up just down the street. I’m dying just to catch a glimpse of you both but it’s just not possible. I do hope that you’re well, though.

Lots and Lots and Lots of love from
Grandma and Grandad xxxx

Dear Liam and Francesca,

I hope you’re both well. We’re both OK. Grandma went out to her club tonight and I stayed in on my own, working on my novel. I thought I might finish it today but haven’t quite done so. I should finish it tomorrow though.

I’ve been thinking a lot about you two today and it makes me sad when I can’t see you or even talk to you on the phone. I went downstairs and had a snack to cheer me up. I had one of Francesca’s favourite snacks. There’s a picture of it below.

I’m sure that you’ll recognise it. You liked them one hot and one cold with either butter or Nutella on them. I used your tongs to get the hot one out of the toaster, the ones we bought you at Christmas. Are you taking the other ones with you, I wonder?

We miss you both lots and lots, you know and hope that you’ll still want to be with us when we can see you again,

Until my next letter,
Lots and Lots and Lots of Love from
Grandma and Grandad xxxx

Hello Francesca and Liam

Today it’s Gramdma writing. I went to Colindale School today because I am still a Governor of the school. I went to the Nursery and both Reception classes to see what the children were doing. Just like I did when you were in Reception, Francesca. Miss Pinduria was your teacher then. Today, Miss Pinduria was the Nursery teacher. It was lovely to see you when you came in from playtime and also in assembly. You were a model pupil, concentrating and listening to Miss Napthine. I was really proud of you. I was especially glad that I could tell you how much Grandad and I love you. We will always love you.

Would you do me a favour and tell Liam that Grandad and Grandma will always love him too. Please give him a big kiss and a hug from us.

I read on the board that you are a school councillor. I am sure you are a super councillor for your class. I am very proud of you.

This afternoon I went to a keep fit class. There were about 40 people there. Some of them also go on the walks and they remembered you and asked if you were OK. We did a lot of exercises, jumping and waving our arms and legs about. It must have looked very funny, I think.

Well, that’s all for now

Lots of love to both of you

from Grandma and Grandad xxxxxxxxx

Dear Liam and Francesca,

Today was Mother’s Day. Did you get your Mummy something nice for Mother’s Day? It was a lovely day today so perhaps you went out somewhere.

We saw Yeshie in your window today. We’ve not seen her for quite a time. We have been wondering where she’s going to go when you leave. I do hope that she’s going to a nice home as she’ll miss both of you a lot. We’ll miss seeing her too.

Grandma and I went out to Golders Green tonight for a bit of a Mother’s Day meal and we went to a Thai restaurant. That’s a bit adventurous for me, isn’t it? I thought that I did quite well and that you wouldn’t have called me fussy tonight. We then went and bought ourselves a nice cake to bring home to eat with a cup of tea.

It’s back to school and nursery tomorrow for you and I hope you’re looking forward to seeing your friends there so,

Goodnight from

Grandma and Grandad – and all our love xx