Walking To Fleetwood With Mum
After another terrible night, being driven crazy by my legs I had a really good day. Exercise freed me of itching feet, the weather was wonderful, I got to spend some time with Steph and my Mum and we walked 14 miles, much of it with her filling me in on the family history.
The day started late as I tried to lie in. I left the house at about 8:30, just in time to really enjoy the last few minutes of the sunrise and I met Steph and Mum at Toby’s for breakfast. I managed to constrain myself and only eat breakfast Yorkshire Puddings, we walked back to the house and then drove to Cleveleys Rossall Beach, dropping step off in Blackpool on the way. The weather was superb and I decided (Mum didn’t get the option) to walk North and then across country to Freeport. This isn’t a particularly picturesque walk, but it’s much quicker than the coastal route and it’s quiet and interesting enough.
Mum got a coffee at Costa and we walked around Freeport for a few minutes and then we decided to take the coastal path back to Cleveleys. this was a superb walk, quite busy but the sea was in, the sun was out, the views were fantastic and Mum gave me a history lesson.
Mum talked a little about her Dad’s wartime affair with his secretary, resulting in both her and her half sister being born at the same time in the same hospital. A nurse discovering this and told Mum’s Grandma which resulted in Mum and her Mum leaving her Dad and moving into my childhood home (118) for the first time. Her Mum died of Polio at 35 when Mum was 7, so she went to live in Bristol with her Mum’s best friend for a short while only to return to 118 and her Grandma to live permanently for a second time. As her Grandma’s health declined she was then taken care of by Mary and Fred in their home, but then later after her Grandma died they all moved into 118, Mum’s 3rd time (the house was held in trust for her). She lived there until she married my Dad who was in the police force. Unfortunately Mum’s half sisters wedding forced a relative to overspend and undertake some fraud to fund the wedding, this was discovered and tarnished Dad in the eyes of the police so he had to leave. Mum and Dad moved back to his Mum’s house just ten doors away from 118, but the house was full and so a few months after Mum turned 21 she inherited 118 and had to ask Mary and Fred to leave and she moved back to 118 for the 4th time! It was a fascinating tale with lots of details I’d not known, like how depressed she was after her Mum died and she had to live with her Grandma and move schools and how joining a swimming club run by one of her teachers (Mr Webster) saved her.
We then drove home from Cleveleys and had a quick feast before Mum napped and I took a bath and Debbie reheated some food from yesterday for dinner. Finally I’m off to swim while Debbie and Mum watch Amazing Spaces and then I’m off to pickup Steph from Blackpool coach station, she’s returning from visiting friends in Manchester.
