St Mary's Ambleside

Not much blipping today, it was either this or a rather sinister looking sculpture warding off would be customers in the Chinese Restaurant.

Yesterday afternoon after all that running in the rain, we headed out to the coast where my mums family still mostly reside. I went mainly to say goodbye to my Uncle Harry who is in his last days of his life and to give my Aunty Ruth and cousin Judith a long hug. It was a gentle and dignified and memory full visit. His care in a GP run community hospital is outstanding. I was reminded from the inside of how sacred is that holding of space by the bedside where family and friends come and go and sit and remember, and hug tightly, cry and laugh, whisper and say words of love in their own but less guarded ways, hold hands, listen, watch, wait, hold on and let go. Nurses and care staff not disturbing the space attended to him and his family with a quiet caring. 
I'd not expected him to be alert enough to talk, but I got down on my knees and held his hand we talked about the times as a young boy I'd stayed overnight many times, perplexed at their love of Everton and talked about Scamp the dog who must have passed 40 years ago. Of playing with a spinning top, going to see the mighty Workington Reds, playing on the slide in the park, back then when as a younger man it was he who held the space that formed part our memories and bonds as family.