Man at work update

I've been out with man at work eight times. Is this classed as 'going steady'? It used to be but I've got no idea of the jargon nowadays (poor old dear). I was impressed last weekend when a pretty young thing caught hold of my shoulders in the ladies loo and asked where I got my tunic. Isn't it nice when someone pays you a compliment? It costs nothing but makes you feel really special.

Daffodils

I was so pleased to see the daffodil buds poking up through the grass in the gardens opposite my flat today. A seagull was manically trying to tap dance on them. I assume seagulls do this ridiculous stamping to encourage worms to come to the surface to see what's going on. I've really got no idea though. My son and I usually collapse in a heap of giggles at the seagull's concentration. We only seem to get the enormous herring gulls here. Hopefully, they will always have webbed feet as they would be truely frightening if they ever developed claws.

Sailor suit

My Dad was obsessed with sunshine. We kids were wrapped up and bundled into whatever car we had at every opportunity. My brother and I were a self-contained unit and my older sister ignored us. As long as there was 'enough blue to cut a sailor's suit out' in the sky - we were off. We would go to woods to pick primroses, cowslips and bluebells (years before they became protected species). We would hunt for orchids and gaze in amazement when we found an unusual one. We would go to the beach, as long as it was sunny, and still have grainy photo's of us huddled up against the cold wind taken by an old box camera. We hunted for shells, fossils and crab shells whilst checking the sky to see if the imaginary pattern for the sailor's suit still fitted into the blue.

Memories

Today, in 1971, we changed from pounds, shillings and pence to p's. Instead of adding up in 12's and 20's we all had to add up in 10's. It seems ridiculous now but it was difficult at the time. My friend and I spent all of our pocket money in Boots trying to add stuff up to get one over on the befuddled staff. No such thing as scanners and barcodes. Each price had to be entered in on the till.

It is also my Dad's birthday today. 1971 was the last birthday he ever had. He was 45. He will always be 45. I would've liked to have known him better.