Happy birthday Dad

It's my dad's birthday today.

I love my dad. He's a splendid, kind, clever and loving man. I'm very lucky.

He used to be a sales rep and travelled a lot over all 3 Yorkshires and a bit further up, lower down and to the side (I'm counting Hull, Grimsby etc in the Yorskhire bit). When I was young I used to go with him on his calls during the school holidays. While he visited his customers I'd sit in the car and read. We'd take sandwiches and go somewhere picturesque and have our lunch while he read the paper and I'd read my book again.

When I was very young I'd often fall asleep on the way home - especially when we had the Zephyr 6 that had a leather bench seat in the front - and a weird column gear stick.

My dad isn't anti-social but he doesn't talk that much when he's driving, but that didn't matter. I was alone with my dad. I can remember him enjoying Woman's Hour on the radio. This was my favourite way to spend my school holidays.

Well he's 73 now, and his rep-ing days are long gone, but I'm back to having 'school' holidays so I think it would only be fair if he took me out for a day again. His driving is fine but maybe this time I could drive him, and he can read one of his many books, and I'll read the paper while we have our picnic.

And then he can fall asleep on the way home.