2026
Rang me mum tonight to see if she’d been out on her new scooter but the answer was no, too hot! I will concede that as fot the second day running temperatures were above 30? so probably best she didn’t go anywhere if it wasn’t necessary
I will call tomorrow see if she gets out
My brother has an awful lot of alone time nowadays since Saturday 5th July 2025 when he lost Karen soulmate the person who he loved dearly and I know from personal experience how big that void will feel. Although its been almost a year those nights can feel long and lonely and anything that he feels passionate about can fester in his head without anyone to sound off to or filter reactions, so when I sent him the video of me giving mum her new scooter I mentioned that it was difficult for her to get past Abbie’s new fellas car that is always parked, it irked him.
He apparently sent her a message asking her to move the car so mum can have the freedom to use her new scooter, which is fair enough.
The problem came when she didn’t respond to him and as I mentioned those thoughts fester and it would have frustrated him being ignored so wrote another message and sent it to Abbie probably raging inside?
Abbie hope you got my message. Please understand my main concern and number one priority is nannie. It is her house and she allows you to stay there not anyone else. I only have mums best interests in mind and ensure she is happy and not worrying about. It’s nannie that indicated to Alan that she would like a scooter so he has sorted it out. This is my personal opinion Abbie but you are a grown woman and if you wish to continue your relationship with Cal you need to seriously think about finding your own place. Do you not think that time has come? It’s mums/nannies house not yours to do as you wish. It’s time to move on Abbie. I hope I make myself clear. Please can you at least respond to the move the car request. Like I say my best interests are with my mum who I love dearly. Your life will go on and I want you to be happy but please it needs to be somewhere else.
The sentiment is exactly what I think and believe a lot of others think too, but up to now no-one has voiced, well its has been now.
Would I have sent it as he wrote it, no I would have showed to Jamie who would have rewrote it and softened it but he does not have that option so sent it unfiltered.
It is safe to say this has now become a war, not just with Abbie but, in this case, with her mum too, who has a propensity to feel victimised at the best of times?
I do understand why Helen feels the need to defend her daughter. I’m sure Jamie would do exactly the same. However, there is a long and complicated backstory that is far too messy to unravel here, and one that suggests Helen should, by now, be able to see his point of view as well.
Instead, this has become an opportunity for Helen to bond with her daughter, even if that bond is being reinforced through a shared conflict with someone who would do anything for her. It gives Helen the chance to demonstrate the mother daughter solidarity she so clearly craves, despite openly admitting that she is often treated badly if not disgracefully by the daughter she is defending.
I have kept neutral although reassuring Karl that he has not said anything that isn’t true and that he definitely needs to make it right with mum no matter what because at the end of the day this all comes from the fact that he loves her and that is why he sent it!
Non of us are getting any younger, lets face it, but when I go see me mum on a Sunday morning I know what a privilege that is and when she talks about getting her bike out and cycling to Tesco to get essentials I am firstly impressed that at 82 she is still able but also immediately think should she be doing that at her age. I always offer to nip her here and there when ever I can and recently ever time I have done and she has seen someone on one of those Mobility Scooters she always says “I could do with one of those!”
I never thought I would be able to help her believing them to be wildly expensive and out of my price range to get her one until that is I just happened to be talking to one of my best friends from school Julie (Dunn) Mellor at the Midsummer Middlewich event at Kings Lock on Sunday. I just happened to mention what me mum keeps saying and she piped up “I know where there are 2 available!”
To cut to the chase she works in Willowmere Care Home and one was for sale for £200 it has hardly been used never been outside and has lots of extra’s, I said can we take a look asap (hoping that it didn’t get sold before we saw it.
Jamie and I went to see it today and it was basically a new scooter for £1500 less.
Drove it to mums house and thought it will be perfect easy to use 30 mile range and really good on rough terrain like the footpaths and roads of Middlewich
We’re never ready for days like this yet wait all year for one, but they only seem to come when I’m working?
I saw 32? on my car stereo tonight and boy did it feel like that all day sat in front of my PC. The best bit is its supposed to be getting hotter as the week progresses
Hottest day until tomorrow…
Spent Sunday morning setting up a stall on the canal with Jamie and the rest of the volunteers from MCC to hopefully raise money for Hungary Mission trip. It was already warm when we got to Salinae field and after a few technical hitches they were set up and ready. After the all churches together service me and Davy (one of Jamie’s mates lol) had nothing to do but find some shade and sit in it.
Later we went out to enjoy the rest of Midsummer Middlewich at the Kings Lock but didn’t make it a late one but speaking to Julie (Dunn) Mellor I mentioned me mum keeps saying she could do with a Mobility Scooter she said oh I know of 2 for sale both are £200 but one has never been outside and barely used I said I’ll have it if you can let me know more details. She took my number and hopefully I can snag one at that price and give it me mum….
With both children growing up and beginning to explore their ever growing worlds it has become necessary to set curfews for both especially this week with Reagan wanting to join her school friends at “after Prom’ parties and Lincoln wanting to enjoy Midsummer Middlewich.
The weather has been excellent with really warm temperatures carrying on into the late evening so staying out late was what everyone wanted to do. Our dilemma was how late was acceptable?
Reagan wanted to go out after Prom so 01:30am seamed the right thing to do but we made sure that was with someone (Alfie) not on her own, and we imposed the same for her friends party on Saturday night too.
Lincoln’s was slightly different because he was just wandering around Middlewich with his mates and that has the potential for mischief, not by Lincoln, but when large are together you can get tarred with the same brush so thought 11pm was the right call.
We sent both out with the same instruction “make good choices” something we always tell them and hope they heed because we have laid good foundations its up to them now to show they can build on those and not let us down.
We will be flexible with curfew times depending on circumstances so long as they both respect the reasoning but Jamie and me struggled to know how to handle it as the requests came thick and fast over the last few days, we just know 8pm for a 16 year old who has just left school like some parents imposed is never going to end well!
They are both growing up fast they need guidance and be allowed to explore with the comfort of knowing we have their best interests at heart not the suffocation of strict rules that are only necessary if the foundations are not sound.
A meeting with the deputy head of the school about Lincoln’s behaviour was the main concern today, and hoping that our talk with him had made some difference so that we could all formulate a plan going forwards. The meeting went well and the school had already seen an improvement and that we were all on the same page trying to help him and get him back on track. The conclusion was that he was probably mirroring behaviour rather than contracting a problem and that guidance and encouragement were required and monitoring the next few weeks before summer break.
We will get him some counselling to make sure he can manage stress in an appropriate manner but for now just relieved its probably nothing to be concerned about for now!
Just a single photo is required because it tells a thousand words!
She looked like the princess she always wanted to be when she was a young girl.
When I saw her with her hair and make-up all done and in that dress I couldn’t have been more proud as her daddy!
Watched England’s opening game against Croatia tonight after beating Dishers Royals first. Wednesdays are pool nights so we started early but I still only made home for the first drinks break, a new addition for the the hot climate in American summers and obviously an oppertunity for a few extra adverts?
Anyway I got home we were already 1 nil up but no sooner had I sat down it was 1 each and by halftime 2 2 in a very good even match, against arguably the toughest opponents in our group.
Second half was a different story going ahead quickly and taking control of the game and should have been out of sight but for some inspired Croatian goalkeeping.
4 2 was in my opinion flattering the Croatians in the end and if we play like that against Panama & Ghana we will win the group with 9 points
I love woodworking and just being in me shed and having a project on the go. Jamie asked me to make a stand for her mirror
It might only be a box to most but those mitred corners are really impressive considering it was my first attempt.