Marie takes a trip to Loughborough

Marie went to Loughborough to get her hair done today.  She hasn't found anyone in Chester yet, and hasn't had it cut or coloured since January!!  I think it looks fine, but she has way more hair than I do and was getting too long for her.  She was probably also wanting to go and check on the house as she hasn't been there in a while.

She went to visit Mum and Dad's little plot and I love it that she sends me pictures of it

It's a good job Mum cannot see the garden she would not be happy, it's looking decidedly jungle-like!!!

The clematis is completely crazy, but I bet it was beautiful when it was flowering

This cat had adopted Mum and Dad, they used to keep food for her and she would come to the conservatory door several times a day to come in and eat.  They called her Tanny. She had at least two litters in their garage and Marie has one of her kittens now.  Dad even had one of his spectacular accidents (breaking his thumb in 4 places) when he went into town to get cat food for her.  Amazingly, she is still coming by and turned up when Marie was there.

It makes me pretty sad that she must still check to see if they are there.  There hasn't been anyone in the house for almost 18 months now.  She has probably happily taken over the garden.  Hope the new people like cats!!!!

Mum and Dad's house-new agents

Marie has not been happy with the estate agent that she was using to sell the house, so she decided to move to the agent that sold hers.  The house went back on the market at 245K, let's hope the lower price and Spring brings us a buyer.  The house has been empty for almost a year now.
They had to take new pictures, luckily, it looks like it was a nice day when they did!!!!

 Mum absolutely loved the back garden.  It is still beautiful, but nothing like it was when Mum put so much time into it.  It's one of the major selling points in my opinion as it's so large, but of course not everyone wants that these days

 They spent countless hours in the conservatory.  We used to sit out there for ages almost all year long.  It made Mum very happy.  Even when she was gone, Dad sat out here a lot, I wonder if it was so he could remember her.  Dad's camellia looks beautiful right now too

Marie had just had the bathroom redone, Dad hardly even got to use it

 Mum absolutely loved this fireplace when she got it done.  Wonder if buyers will like it or think it outdated?  Also the wood ceiling?  Not always what everyone would want

 This used to be my bedroom before the conservatory was added and the door taken out.  I can still remember Walter building this arch right after I moved out.  Apparently Mum did NOT want me moving back in!!!!

 The kitchen.  To be honest, I hadn't realized that the ceiling was wood.  Mum must have really liked that effect.  It's amazing what you don't really pay attention to until it's empty

 Mum and Dad's bedroom

 The conservatory view

 This is interesting, I hadn't really seen a floor plan of the house before

I'm always going to look on this house with nostalgia.  Mum and Dad lived here for 60 years.  But, looking at these photos makes me realize that the house needs a lot of work.  Hopefully someone can see past that to what it could be.  Fingers crossed

Mum and Dad's memorial

While I was with Marie, we buried Dad's ashes in a plot in the crematorium.  Dad had not wanted to have anything for Mum and they had scattered her ashes on the old bowls club.  Marie wanted to do something for both of them, so she got a plot and asked John's brother to do a marker.  It looks lovely and I'm so glad she did it.

She took some flowers up when she was in Loughborough, makes it look a bit more cheerful.

Last Photos from Mum and Dad's House

Marie and I went through the things in Mum and Dad's house. We kept a bunch of the old photos and some of all the cross stitch pictures, but not much else.  They had so much stuff in the house, but we kept very little.  Neither of us have any room for it.  Marie had decided to get a service to come in and empty out the house, I am so glad she did that, I think it would have been so distressing to empty it ourselves.  It really did make it so much easier for someone else to come in and take everything out of the house.
Michael has been coming up to the house and looking after the garden every week.  It still looks really good, even though it's nothing like it was when Mum was alive.  She would have loved to know the fuchsias are still flowering and looking great.

Lots of bushes still alive in the back garden, but no colour, Mum would NOT be impressed!!!!

Lots of apples on the tree this year.  Such a shame

I took a few pictures of the house once everything was out of it.  Mum designed this fireplace and loved it when it was built. 

Wardrobes in their bedroom, I expect the new owners will tear them out

Dining room

Looking out onto the conservatory

Through the conservatory into the garden

Kitchen

Mum and Dad's house is up for sale

I suppose this day was always going to come, but it's still a bit of a shock that Mum and Dad's house is up for sale.  They have lived there for 60 years, in fact Marie was born in this house.  This is the last link we have with Loughborough.  I am going to go to England and help Marie clean the house out as there is a lot of stuff we will need to go through.  For now, we will just wait and see if we get any interest in a sale, we have plenty of time

These are the pictures from the website, they make the house look fantastic.

Front porch-Walter built this!!!  Seems so long ago

The hall-the poppy picture was something I bought Mum when I was doing my PhD-I worked with someone who did photography and I bought the photo from him

Mum and Dad spent countless hours in the conservatory, they really got their money's worth out of it!!!  It ended up being my favourite room in the house

Kitchen looks immaculate, although we know it's pretty dated.  Those tiles have been on the walls for about 40 years!!!

The sitting room.  I remember when they had the fireplace built, Mum was so proud of it

Marie had the bathroom done so that Dad could have a walk-in shower.  It has been barely used

Mum and Dad's bedroom

Dining room-this used to be my bedroom, but Mum had it converted as soon as I moved out.  She was making sure I didn't think about coming back home!!!!

This was Marie's old bedroom, then used as Dad's office

The back garden is still beautiful, but nothing like it was when Mum was alive.  She spent so much of her time looking after it, and was always buying new plants for it (kind of like me really!!)

Saying goodbye.......

I did not go home for Dad's funeral. Marie and I had decided that it would be better for me to go when we had a chance to clean out the house and sort out all the other things we need to take care of.  Marie sent me a few pictures, including this one of the flowers at the funeral

Beautiful flowers in Marie's house

Cupcakes!!!!

We are going to get a memorial plot at the crematorium for both Mum and Dad, and bury Dad's ashes in it.  We will do that when I get home

The day I became an orphan

There are so many things in life to be grateful for. One of mine is that I got to have my parents for a major part of my life. Even though I did not see them as much when I moved to the U.S., they always kept in touch with me and for many years came to see us every year.  I'm sure they had their trials and tribulations over the years, but they made it to their 60th wedding anniversary in March 2016.  Shortly after that, things took a downturn and Mum passed away 6 months later

Dad was never the same once Mum was gone.  They had constantly traveled, but he didn't go anywhere after Mum died until Marie and I took him away for a few days.  He had a hard time in the Winter of 2018 and was just doing a little better when he started with ischemia in his toe at the beginning of 2019.  This year was not a great one for him, he spent most of it in the hospital and passed away on August 12
This is one of the last good pictures I have of him.  John sent it to Marie and I when we were together in New York.

It feels strange to know your parents are gone.  Since I haven't lived close to them for so long, it's more removed for me than it would be for most people.  It is harder for Marie because she has seen Dad almost every day for the past 3 years, she has been his primary contact with the world.
Marie has sold her house in Loughborough and will be moving to Chester in the middle of September.  This will definitely be the end of an era.  There will be no reason for me to go to Loughborough, other than to visit Teresa
Excerpt from The Echo:
MCHOWAT Thomas "Tom" Passed away peacefully on Monday 12th August 2019 aged 89 years. Loving husband to the late Mae, father to Jane & Marie, Grandfather to Richard, Tom, Ben & Maggie, Great-Grandfather to Sophie. Tom's funeral service will be held at the United Reformed Church, Loughborough on Thursday 5th September 2019 at 2.15pm. Private family committal at Loughborough Crematorium thereafter. Family flowers only. Donations to the United Reformed Church. All enquiries to Swanns Funeral Service, 4 Bridge Street, Loughborough LE11 1NQ Telephone 01509 263032