Today marks exactly a year since our Dad passed away. Yesterday the family had a get together at Mum's and it was great to see the grandchildren running around having fun in the garden. Watching them took me back to my childhood and remembering the fun we all had when we moved back to Colville. I remember Dad decorating and getting our new house right, and I remember going with him round to Nu-Lines to get paint as there was no B&Q or Homebase back then! What a world away it now seems.

The passage of time can be a funny thing, but one thing it does give you is perspective. This time last year we were torn apart emotionally as a family, but drawn together in our grief. The kindness of friends and relations helped to ease our pain and those that visited helped us recall some of the funnier things our Dad had said or done over the years. It was with these stories that came the perspective that he was not only a big part of our lives, but also a character that had touched others lives and left them with lasting memories.

Big Kebba (as he was always called when I was still living at home) will always be missed by us all, but his endearing qualities, personality quirks and enduring love will always remain in our memories and in our hearts forever.

Rest In Peace Dad x