3 years ago today I had what I never realised would be my last ever conversation with my Dad. I skipped off for a picnic with a friend and returned home that evening to him in resuscitation wearing an oxygen mask joking to me that I shouldn’t worry because he might be dead tomorrow, two days later he was.

Today I drove back from my second home, I’ve spent the last week with my cousin, her children and have spent time seeing the rest of my cousins, Uncle and Aunty. I grew holidaying here every single year, every year we took out the same blue cool box that I ventured down with this year. We packed up the car, drove down to the opposite end of the UK to the place I know almost as well as I do home. It’s funny because the Cornish have a traditional set of trees they call the coming home trees and to be honest, every time I hit the A30 to this day I feel like I’m coming home.

I feel like I’ve so much to write about from this holiday, it was my first trip down there in awhile, it was toddler P’s first visit and it was the first time in a long time that I saw everyone and spent a decent amount of time with them. We grew up together seeing each other annually, those cousins were like siblings to me and despite my Uncle and Aunty Y separating years ago, I still have a strong affection for her and of course my Uncle M is just awesome and hilarious, he always has been! It was the first trip since I last holidayed here with my ex husband, it was my first time travelling down here as a mum. It’s one of my most special places and is somewhere I see myself retiring to.

This post is about my Dad though, this trip was the first down there since Dad passed and it brought back so many memories. Then I realised what today was, so I drove home playing songs from the horrifically cheesy MnM’s summer time feeling cassette tape that was bright yellow and brought out every trip with the key holiday song by Mungo Gerry. So yes today, I had no shame in blasting Under the Boardwalk, Walking in Sunshine and In the Summertime as I cruised up the M5 singing at the top of my voice.

And the memories it brought back were more than 3 years ago…