grandad kit

Thank you for reading my blog. If you have difficulty seeing your grandchildren, or have any views about my situation, I would welcome your messages by e-mail through this blog site. If you wish, just use a first name or a nickname and your identity will be protected, like mine – “Grandad Kit.”

Dear “Tom”

To the top of Durham Cathedral

I am your other grandfather, the one you have never met. You are three years old, and although I have never met you, I love you dearly and always will. You are my flesh and blood, and always will be. We will meet one day, I am sure. I am writing this daily "blog" to you to make up for the fact that I can't speak to you right now. I hope that one day you will be able to read this and then you will know that Grandad Kit and Nana Ann always did care for you, right from the day you were born.

Today Grandad went to Durham City, so I thought I'd tell you about your cousin Elaine when she was not much older than you and I first took her there. First let me tell you that Durham has a fine castle and an even more magnificent cathedral. They were built by the Normans who came over with William the Conquerer in 1066 and their descendants - huge stone buildings that recah to the sky. The Normans built these on the "peninsular" which is a huge rock in a loop of the River Wear that goes right round so much, it almost makes an island. The Normans built there because, with the river on three sides and very steep banks leading down to the river, it wa an easy place to defend. Remember the Normans conquered this country in 1066 and it was in the North of England that therfe was the most resistance.

If you come to Durham by train, the railway is very high up, and you have a great view of the Castle and the Cathedral as you come into Durham Station.

Anyway, I was telling you about your cousin Elaine when she was a little girl and I brought her to Durham. We were walking past Durham Cathedral when Elaine looked up to the top of the Cathedral's biggest tower. She said: Are those people up there?" and I said "Yes" and Elaine said "Can we go up there too?" so I said "Yes" even though I was a it scared because I don't like heights. Anyway, we went into the Cathedral, paid our admission, and went into the big central tower. It was a long way up! A long, long way, up a stone spiral staircase. I think there are 550 steps (I'm not so sure about this, but there are a lot of steps.)

Every so often, there is a landing where you can look out over the town and the countryside. I thought that little Elaine would get tired, but not a bit of it. She went bounding up the steps, all the way up, just stopping every so often to look out through the openings in the stone walls. The we reached the top!

It was really scary. We were so high up, it was almost like being up in an aeroplane. There is a walkway round the top of the tower, with a stone balustrade you can look through, but scaredy old Grandad Kit stuck by the door, holding tight onto the wall! But - and you've guessed - little Elaine went running round the top of the tower, round all four sides, looking through the balustrade on each side. She even stuck he head through the holes to get a better look! There was no danger, because the holes were too small for her to get through. But I was really pleased when Elaine said it was time to go down.

It would be nice if I could take you to the top of Durham Cathedral, but don't expect me to go walking round the top like your cousin Elaine, although you are welcome to do so yourself.

Love from

Grandad Kit and Nana Ann