For Gran

Gran, my husband's mum, sadly passed away in the early hours of Saturday morning, after suffering a series of strokes since Christmas. We are all very sad and feeling somehow quite empty, but I think we will eventually be very comforted by lots of very happy memories of Gran before she fell ill. The kids will remember her fits of giggles when presented with toys that moved, sang or made noises - it became a custom to buy her gifts that would get her to giggle. We will always remember and laugh about the annual holidays to the great British seaside, when we created an enormous encampment on the beach, whatever the weather, ate salmon sandwiches with too much butter and drank tea out of a battered tartan flask as we sat wrapped up in fleeces and blankets. I will never forget how she used to visit garden centres whilst on holiday and buy more plants than would ever fit into a Ford Fiesta (although miraculously they did!).

Her garden was her pride and joy and I spent many hours in it over the years taking pictures of the flowers. When we went yesterday to be with the rest of the family and to make arrangements, the helibores were stunning and Gran would have loved them. She has left a huge hole in the Burkinshaw family and we hope that she is happily telling Grandad off somewhere for having the television turned up too loud!