Ipswich

So this is the whole reason for the Ashes tour! Day 13 May 3rd, the fourth anniversary of Mum's passing and the day we finally get Dads Ashes back to his hometown of Ipswich. Thanks to the efforts of our 1st cousins Ian and Andrew, and the organisational skills of my sister, we are able to get dads ashes buried in his mothers perpetual plot at Ipswich Cemetery. It is fittingly a drizzly miserable English day, and after a few words from the three siblings I place Dad in his final resting place. I feel a mix of emotions, obviously sadness, but also pride that we have honoured his last wishes and managed to do so on a day that recognised mum and their 50+ year bond. It is lovely to be surrounded by our extended family at this moment, particularly my Dads 94 year old sister, Joan, who is incredibly stoic in the circumstances. We spend the rest of the afternoon over a long lunch at where else? The Coach and Hosreman Pub! We exchange stories and I am reminded of how immediately close I feel to blood relations, despite the physical distance that normally separates us!Read more