In honour of my Dad

It's with a heavy heart I write this post that my dad David Hart passed away quietly at home after a long battle with esophageal cancer on the 9th of February 

Dad knew so many people, but he's probably best known for all the years he was the entertainment secretary at Shottermill Club in Haslemere, dad loved to sing and was an entertainer through and through, he never let the fact he had a chronic stammer or that he couldn't tell a joke for the life of him without cracking up before the end hold him back

Image Description - Close up head and shoulders shot of my dad looking directly at the camera, the background is out of focus

Dad was always willing to help others and would quite literally give you the shirt off his back if he thought

Things went bad very quickly

I'm heartbroken to share that on the 3rd January our sweet boy Boris suddenly and unexpectedly gained his wings as he peacefully made his way across the Rainbow Bridge surrounded by love and cradled in my arms

A day forever etched in my mind for the wonderful family walk we were all enjoying right up until the moment Boris staggered round the corner coming towards us with something very seriously wrong going on

Image Description - Boris the black cocker spaniel sitting facing the camera on a warm summer's day, he's sitting on grass with a hedge behind him looking very relaxed and majestic with his tongue out

What happened next was a traumatic blur having to deal

Happy New Year

Image Description - Multi coloured patterned writing on a pink background that says Hello January and Hello 2026

I've been taking some much needed time for myself since I last posted and feel so much better for it, sadly my parents dementia is getting worse - dad no longer recognises me until I remind him who I am 

 I do appreciate that I still have both my parents at my age, not everybody is so blessed but some days it's just so hard to recognise these two strangers as my parents, dementia has really done a number on them

I'm also really lucky to have such amazing supportive friends who've helped me too see that things couldn't carry on as they were, I hadn't realised until a few days ago just how much I'd made myself unwell as I struggled to cope with everything

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy New Year

Dawn, Boris & Eko xxx