This is my mum

Here she is, the one who is partly responsible for my being here on this planet. She is staying here for a few days. She's pictured with her husband of some quite a few years now, who is, sadly, not staying with us. Frank is a lovely man and I am glad to have him as a kind of step-father, although we don't see him as often as we'd like.

He started a company making "decorative panels" many years ago and has long since retired from it, but still goes in to help out with some book-keeping each week. In conversation, it soon becomes evident that the "decorative panels" are in fact coffins. There is usually a pause at this point, then some laughter, then slight guilt.

They don't make coffins now - apparently it's a bit of a cut-throat business these days. I hear at one time they made panels for IKEA - another source of disappointment for me. IKEA make such play of being Swedish, what with all those funny names and everything - and yet the stuff they sell is often made in this country.

I know I should be thrilled by this news, and so I apologise. I just think that if they are going to sell things made in the UK, they should be called something more British - like: "Harold Robson & Son" - and the stuff should have good, solid, believable British names like "Basket", "Wardrobe" or perhaps "Chicken Tika Masala".

I must now get on with some work, but I hope you enjoyed hearing a little about my mum.

Comments

[Tim the Enchanter]

Not much in there about your mum Andy. Just a rant about IKEA from what I could tell.

[jac]

I think he said a lot about his mum, Tim.

[Angela]

I think there was more written about coffins and Frank.

[Tim the Enchanter]

...however... I did like the one about coffins being a cut-throat business. Very good!

[Jac]

Maybe there is enough there for those who wish to see, Angela.