A taxing time

I have spent the last couple of days with my head full of numbers, preparing our VAT return which was actually much more straight forward that I imagined it would be ~ hooray! I have never really thought of myself as much of an administrator, although I am pretty organised about filing paperwork away in the right place. The ease with which I have accessed all the information needed by our brilliant book-keeper has surprised even me.

Today would have been my father's birthday and last night I put a few words together in his memory...

Still missing you.

To the man

• who was so dedicated to his work that he visited his patients on Christmas day, but also found time to take his children and grandchildren on great days out


• who was a stickler for being properly dressed so always wore a tie, but wore a red Acapulco sun hat in the operating theatre


• who kept the biscuit tin high up on a shelf so the children couldn't help themselves, but treated his dogs to KitKats every Saturday morning


• who continued to study and learn about medicine his whole life and introduced me to The little Grey Rabbit, Ant and Bee and Dr Suess


• who hated own label products in the supermarket and loved Callard & Bowser Nougat (shame they stopped making it) and Gentlemen's Relish (though not together!)


• who made the world's best tasting fudge and kept a pot of jelly babies on the shelves in the dining room


• who hated injustice, fought for the less privileged, worked to improve medical knowlegde in developing countries and here in UK


• who always hated roller coasters, but took my daughter on one because it was her birthday


• who, despite being dreadfully ill for years, rang me daily when I was poorly, to make sure I was okay


• who knew to turn the radio off when they played Leo Sayer's 'when I need you', the day my first serious boyfriend dumped me


• who taught me to drive and to find my own inner drive.

To the man who is no longer with us, but is in my mind each and every day. Happy Birthday Dad.