Video transcript
You wouldn't think that a tankard made in London in the early 1900s would have much
to do with growing up in the 1980s in West Yorkshire. But it reminds me of a similar
ornament that used to sit by the fire in my grandparents' living room.
My Grandma and Grandad Burgess lived a short drive away from our house. My
grandma used to work at the Fox's factory, and there always seemed to be biscuits in
the house, so we always used to call them Grandma and Grandad Biscuit.
I have lots of memories of visiting their bungalow. I remember being wrapped in a big
blanket and being taken there on the night my brother was born. A few years later, my
grandma would look after me every Thursday to give my mum some much-needed
peace to study for her degree. She would teach me songs - and years later would still
regularly point out the spot in the hallway where I would sit and sing about Sweet Molly
Malone. We would go for walks to see the donkey who lived in the field at the end of the
road.
Other times, my auntie, uncle and cousins would be there too and the house would be
full and busy. While the grown ups drank tea, we would run up and down the garden -
my cousins Victoria, Emma and Rhian, my brother Michael, and me. If we were feeling
brave - and we were sure he wasn't looking - we might hide in my grandad's
greenhouse, crouching down among the tomato plants.
My grandad died when I was 8, and 9 years later, my grandma died too. When I left
their house for the last time, I didn't just have to say goodbye to their home, but to the
happy times I had spent there. Now I'm much more likely to see my cousins at a
wedding than in with the tomato plants - although, as you can see, some things haven't
changed much at all!
