Hi Gerry, I love and miss you so very much.
Sorry it has been so long since I last wrote to you. I don't know where the time has gone.
A lot has happened since i last wrote. I had Isabelle. Sienna, Genevieve, Austyn and Violet on the 31st of August. We had a wonderful afternoon and evening together. The kids were all very excited to all get together again. They all slept over except for Sienna who wanted to go home with Jamie. This was an experience I never thought would happen. You would have loved it and had so much fun with them all. We talk about you all the time, and Austyn, Violet and Sienna remember you with love and great affection. But all 5 grandchildren wish with all their hearts that you were still here. They love learning everything about you and looking at all the things you created and produced. They also like watching videos of you and the family.
On the first and second of September Darren and Jamie took me away for the weekend to celebrate my 70th birthday which was in March, but this was the first weekend they could both get away together. We had a fantastic time. We spent the first night in a posh hotel in Reading. We all shared a family room. We all went swimming in the hotel pool, used the sauna and steam room. Then we had a glass of champagne in our room before going out to dinner. We were not terribly hungry because we had already bought a snack from the supermarket because we were all so hungry. We had a good look around and explored the area. There were lots of restaurants and bars to choose from. We eventually settled on a Cuban tapas bar, which was directly across the road from our hotel. It was obviously the in place to go. It was very busy with young folk. There was a live band playing and dancing. We ordered a few dishes and had Dorados to drink. It was very nice but really expensive. There were scantily dressed dancing girls outside in the doorway along with 4 burly doormen. I laughed and joked at the girls because although they were pretty, but they well very skinny with no boobs at all. We went back to our room and had a few whisky chasers and played cards until we fell asleep. We were all pretty tidily by then and I was well out of it.
The next day we all had a really good cooked breakfast before leaving the hotel. Whilst there we saw the gay pride procession pass by the hotel. It was very long and interesting. But before leaving and when checking the room, I discovered that my sofa bed had what looked like mouse droppings on it and the top sheet was stained very yellow and the mattress cover had dirty stains on it. We took photos and showed them to the receptionist when checking out. The receptionist was very apologetic and said she would investigate and call us back. She said she would reimburse Darren for his full parking charges which was £22.40. This she did and called him later that day. She said that they had found the room had not been properly cleaned for some time when they had investigated and thought the brown dropping was chocolate and the yellow sheet was from tobacco stain. She then reimbursed Darren with another £20. We did not believe a word of it but at least we were £44.40 better off.
We then drove to Wembley to a Premier Inn next to the tube station. It was also the day of the tribute concert for the FOO Fighters member who had died recently from drugs and booze after his 50th birthday bash. We had a beer in the garden and watched thousands of people arriving from the tube station, which lead directly into Wembley stadium for the concert. I was gob smacked at how many people there were. Apparently 75,000 people attended. We did not hear anything or see any of its famous performers.
We then caught two tubes into the West End. There we wandered around exploring and trying to decide where to eat. We eventually settled on a Thai restaurant. We eat outside and we all ordered three different meals. We then tasted each other’s. It was a fabulous meal and very filling. Then we went to the Adelphia Theatre to watch the Tina Turner Show. It was a beautiful old ornate theatre. The show was a truly amazing. Possibly the best musical I have ever seen. The story, Costumes and Music was astounding. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I know you would have loved it too. Darren and Jamie both commented that even though they thought it would be good they were astounded at just how good it was. It was a night to remember. We then got the tube back to the hotel and were again surprised that we arrived back as the people were leaving the concert and it was so quite and orderly. We went back to our room and had a few more drinks and whisky chasers and played cards until we all fell asleep. We did not bother to get up for breakfast as we were not hungry and were really tired. After checked out Darren drove us home and we met the rest of the family at the Windmill and had a Sunday roast. A weekend I will treasure forever.
In other news the Queen has died. The tv was totally taken over on all channels for over a week and all we had was the Queen. It was very depressing and it brough everything back to me about you, the cancer and you eventually after such a long and fierce battle loss your life. She had a state funeral, and everyone got the day off to watch it on tv.
Di is still doing ok. She is eating better, and I think she has gained a little weight. She still enjoys going for a walk around the block by the shops. She is still suffering with her arthritic joints, but he is nearly 14 and a quarter now.
Please can you help Jamie as his work is sodding him about. They are making unrealistic demands of him and it is causing him a lot of distress. He gets very little free time as it is but now, he has to work until 2am and get up at 6am. He is not going to be able to sustain this and I am worried about his health and his and his family’s future.
It is nearly October now and it’s getting very cold and the nights are drawing in fast. It is dark by 7pm at the moment and that is before the clocks change.
I have never known a time when life has been so bad and fearful for everyone. The world has gone mad. There are natural disasters occurring all the time all around the world. President Putin of Russia is still at war with Ukraine and is now threatening the UK and other countries with Nuclear war. He is intended to target London soon. I think it is the beginning of the end of the age of man.
Also, we have a new Prime Minister, another bloody stupid woman. She has really buggered this country once and for all within a week of taking over. Her stupid new chancellor announced a new mini budget which has left the county destitute. The pound has plummeted, and no other country want anything to do with us anymore. We are all subject to stupid inflationary prices making it impossible for the working-class man to survive. Life looks pretty shit for the foreseeable future.
On a better note I hope all is well in your world. I have not seen your butterfly for several weeks now and I am scared that you have left me. Please come back and tell me know you are still alive, free and ok. I also have not seen you for a while in my dreams. I love and miss you so very much and look forward to any contact and connection we can enjoy together.
Until we met again please always remember that I always have, and always will, love you forever and always. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything you are doing for me and our family to keep us fit, healthy and to have a good life. I miss you with every beat of my hear, breath in my body and you live forever in my heart and thoughts. I love you.
All my love forever and always.
Maggie XxX