Relatives, Rambo & Bali

I hadn’t seen my relatives for a few years so it was good to catch up again. I only meant to stay a couple of weeks but due to unforseen circumstances I couldn’t get a flight until late October. Harry and Maureen were good enough to put me up for the month so I was very grateful.

The family hadn’t changed much. Karl, Nat and Anouska had all grown up and were working hard-ish. My Uncle Stu was still with his girlfriend and their 4 boys and my Aunty Jackie was in Wales somewhere. My Granny still lived in the same house and was just as nuts as before. I spent most days lazing around Rawtenstall, chatting with Maureen, watching videos or helping Harry decorate some houses (very interesting!). The nights were spent either with Karl and his mates at the Woolpack or with Harry at the snooker club. Some nightswe all went to the Buff Club just down the road. It was a very relaxing few weeks.

My Granny still lived in the same house and was just as nuts as before

I managed to see Burnley play again, same result as well, 1-0 against Wimbledon of all teams. I think Wimbledon had about five away supporters in the whole side of the ground they were allocated. We visited a few of Harry’s mates and his uncle Stan (my great-uncle). He was a funny bloke, and he lived in a strange old house. One of Harry’s mates lived in Powys, a lovely little town in Wales. He was an 85 year old organ player for the church. His cottage was nice. The nearby Lake Vrnwy was very picturesque. In 1880 a village was flooded and dammed, apparently you can see the church steeple protruding from the water in dry summer months!

Sadly I was at Harrys when news of the Bali bombing came through. Shocking! I had to call my mum just to reassure her I was nowhere near there, but it angered me to think about the people who were killed. They were only on holiday, they weren’t offending or harming anyone. There will be a huge backlash one day – maybe not soon, but one day.

I even went out on the town with my Uncy Stu. I met him and three of his mates in Manchester on a Saturday night and proceeded to do a pub crawl. It was, unsurprisingly, very drunkard. One of Stu’s mates went home sick, one got lost and another went down an alleyway with a hooker. I merely went back with Stu and crashed on his lounge. The next day though he wouldn’t drop me off at Harry’s house so I had to walk about a mile – what a softie! Families!

It was finally time for me to leave. It had been good to catch up and I hoped to see them again soon. I caught a bus to London and before I knew it I was on a jet plane.