Although we didn’t speak often and saw each other even less in our adult lives, I always enjoyed catching up when we did.

A lovely set of memories from Dads time living in Wales .. written by his good friend Sylvia Backhouse. Many years ago Brian and I were digging out and clearing an area of land for the greenhouse that Christopher was going to build for me. Brian was driving the dumper and removing the spoil to a low piece of land which would form the back wall of a pond. Logistically Brian had worked out that it would be better to drive out onto the low land and dump the spoil at the furthest position and work back to higher ground. In spite of me telling him many times that the area was a bog, and the dumper would sink, he was adamant that the ground was very hard and he could drive over it. I said that I did not have any chains to drag him out if he got stuck. Off he went to do it his way with my words in his ears - “If I hear the dumper’s engine stop I will know that you have got the dumper stuck.” The dumper’s engine stopped. Brian summed up the situation by saying “I will listen to Mother next time.” I regretted not shouting very loudly in his ear “It is a bog”. This same pond that Brian and I built was a great success and has been a source of much enjoyment for us. Natural plants and water creatures soon colonized it, and as you would expect plants, such as bullrushes which are very invasive, soon grew. Brian and Dawn chanced upon us one day working in the pond. Michael was cutting back rampant vegetation on the island and I was in the pond trying to dig out the roots of bullrushes. Ever the gallant gentleman, Brian rushed home to change and quickly joined me working in the pond. When we had almost finished taking out the bullrushes, I mentioned to Brian that there were some very dangerous creatures in our pond and he gaily went on about unmentionable creatures that could swim up your orifices. I bided my time until he was looking the other way and leapt on him to try and get him under the water. He still had his head and one shoulder out of the water and reared up like a monster from the deep and bolted for dry land. In hot pursuit I managed to grab one of his ankles and tried to drag him back down the bank into the pond but he fended me off and I plunged backwards into the pond. Meanwhile Dawn and Michael were laughing their socks off with all these antics and I ended my escapade with a gentle swim in the deep end. Later, much to my horror, Brian told me that he had got a lifelong fear of water because of something that happened in his past. I was so sorry especially as Brian had come to help me in the pond. With love to everyone. Sylvia Backhouse

A lovely set of memories from Dads time living in Wales .. written by his good friend Sylvia Backhouse. Many years ago Brian and I were digging out and clearing an area of land for the greenhouse that Christopher was going to build for me. Brian was driving the dumper and removing the spoil to a low piece of land which would form the back wall of a pond. Logistically Brian had worked out that it would be better to drive out onto the low land and dump the spoil at the furthest position and work back to higher ground. In spite of me telling him many times that the area was a bog, and the dumper would sink, he was adamant that the ground was very hard and he could drive over it. I said that I did not have any chains to drag him out if he got stuck. Off he went to do it his way with my words in his ears - “If I hear the dumper’s engine stop I will know that you have got the dumper stuck.” The dumper’s engine stopped. Brian summed up the situation by saying “I will listen to Mother next time.” I regretted not shouting very loudly in his ear “It is a bog”. This same pond that Brian and I built was a great success and has been a source of much enjoyment for us. Natural plants and water creatures soon colonized it, and as you would expect plants, such as bullrushes which are very invasive, soon grew. Brian and Dawn chanced upon us one day working in the pond. Michael was cutting back rampant vegetation on the island and I was in the pond trying to dig out the roots of bullrushes. Ever the gallant gentleman, Brian rushed home to change and quickly joined me working in the pond. When we had almost finished taking out the bullrushes, I mentioned to Brian that there were some very dangerous creatures in our pond and he gaily went on about unmentionable creatures that could swim up your orifices. I bided my time until he was looking the other way and leapt on him to try and get him under the water. He still had his head and one shoulder out of the water and reared up like a monster from the deep and bolted for dry land. In hot pursuit I managed to grab one of his ankles and tried to drag him back down the bank into the pond but he fended me off and I plunged backwards into the pond. Meanwhile Dawn and Michael were laughing their socks off with all these antics and I ended my escapade with a gentle swim in the deep end. Later, much to my horror, Brian told me that he had got a lifelong fear of water because of something that happened in his past. I was so sorry especially as Brian had come to help me in the pond. With love to everyone. Sylvia Backhouse