Two pictures to represent two family times this week: my Gandma's 92nd birthday, and my cousin Howard's wedding.
Different sides of the family - Grandma is Mum's Mum. Suffering from cancer, and it seems pleasantly confused, she was on terrific form. Apart from a little deafness, allowable I think at such a venerable age, you would never have guessed she was in any way under best form. She was good conversation and all smiles, enjoying her meal (which
she ate with gusto - especially her chocolate pudding) and we had a wonderful time together.
Gill is over from Florida with Ben, as you can see, and this photo is actually taken in the room where ten years ago we took another photo with Gill, Mum, Grandma and Ben after I had baptised Ben. He's a bit bigger now and no longer being held in his mother's arms.
Howard is Dad's nephew, his sister Judith's son. Ten years my junior, a magician, and great company. He is very much his father's son - though his Dad died I think fourteen years ago. Many people told him during the day how much he reminded them of his father, which must have been tough to hear and wonderful all at the same time. He doesn't look like Roy; but he has his confidence and ability to warm a room and welcome people in, to be the host and he certainly has his father's smile. It was a pleasure to be at his wedding.
And to see lots of family there - for I have a wonderful family. They are an eclectic and strange bunch, and I love every one of them. Some are shy, some brash, some brittle, some brassy, some funny, some dry, some long-winded, some almost silent. I love being with them. We are a Victoria Wood sketch in action. It is never dull.
And Ben maybe growing up in Florida, but he is getting the hang of it well. His Grandma asked him: "Ben, shall we go out for a meal?"
Ben: "OK".
Grandma: "Do you like Italian?"
Ben: "No."
Grandma: "What do you like then?"
Ben: "French food."
Me: "Ben - give over, stop teasing your Grandma. You've never had any French food!"
Ben: "Have too!"
Me: "What French food do you know?"
Ben: "Fries."
With which it was hard to argue.
So I took my nephew to see the BBC National Orchestra of Wales last night. They performed a "Halloween Spooktacular", a concert of light classics and film score bits with a seasonal slant. A screen over the stage had an owl in flight during the Harry Potter segment, a clip from Pirates of the Caribbean, and they played some incidental music from Doctor Who with the scene showing above them (my personal favourite). It was a great concert, well performed, and introduced by some children's TV person. And my nephew loved it - especially when Dracula gave hime a goody bag in the interval full of BBC NOW bits and pieces (thank you Byron!)
