My nana died just before my 2nd birthday and I must say that the idea of calling her 'nana' has always felt a bit odd because I have no memories of her at all unfortunately. What me and my granddad had in common is that we knew each other as being perpetually single, and it was always quite a good conversation point for me and him. There were exceptions: For a time, he was 'courting' (love that word) a lady from Everton called Isobel who I mainly remember for using the P-word at the dinner table. Must say I don't remember my granddad using language like that at the dinner table. It's okay - One of them generational things I suppose, maybe. So anyway, she was binned off. And then a couple of years later my Granddad was stood waiting for a bus by Botanic Gardens and he recognised this lady who he wouldn't have seen for at least 60years called Stella. Now someone else will fill in the blanks but as far as I know he had known her growing up in West Derby and actually proposed to her just before the outbreak of war, then went to Burma and never saw her again. She lived just off Scarisbrick New Road in Southport and for a time he would get the train through and go visit her. I must say I'm not sure how that one ended actually but I don't think he proposed again. He would chat to me about what was going on with me and despite the age difference I always felt quite comfortable chatting with him about stuff. I didn't pry into how he had spent his 'rock n roll years', but I think it was clear enough that the 30's wasn't all doffing caps at ladies walking by. He'd say 'and are you courting anyone at the moment?' and sometimes I was (he met two of them which is more than most people) but if I wasn't I'd just say I was fine. And he knew I was fine and he never worried too much: "There's always time, lad. Always time…". When I saw him at Christmas he was suffering from pneumonia in Fazakerley; young nurses catering to his every need. He's the only person I know who actually liked hospital. "Who knows what will happen over the next year. I might get married, I'm not sure". Daft sod.