What have you done with the rest of your life...

Where to begin? I suppose I have to confess that my place of birth, which I had nothing to do with, was Sunderland, Tyne & Wear down in England. Subsequently somewhere that I could not wait to get out of as soon as I could! Wow this is difficult! My family consisting of mother, father (no news there) mother's mother - she left my grandfather who was a "boozer" to stay for a fortnight which lasted 45 years! Indeed my earliest regretful memory, was when he called and I has been given one of those building block toys with a wooden hammer to knock in the nails, and I was made to hit my grandfather Stephen on the head with the hammer! I must have been about 4 years old. Yes there was something wrong with the upbringing! Mostly I was looked after by my Nan, who I suspect was given the charge in return for staying in the family home - also resident was my mothers sister Margaret, more of you will read in coming additions! My father, Alec was a butcher and met my mother when they worked together at "Jefferies"! Dad eventually had his own businesses in Southwick, a mining village & Grindon an then emerging suburban estate, but with my mothers ambition driving him on, rather than his natural instincts for advancement! As long as Dad had his ciggies - originally a heavy "Woodbine" smoker, attributed to his army service and a guy who liked a drink but with the family history had to do this in very controlled moderation! In later years I was able to modify this and often enjoyed seeing him gulp a pint or six down at great speed. My mother's theory of timing did not match my father's capacity for speed drinking!