There are some dates that hold particular significance.
People used to say they could remember what they were doing the day J F Kennedy was assassinated (22 Nov 1963). Some remember when Elvis Presley died (16 August 1977) or when John Lennon was shot (8 Dec 1980).
None of these hold particular significance for me.
The day that holds particular significance for me is 15th November.
I can remember where I was and what I was doing on different 15th November in various years.
On this day in 2004 I was shopping in Ilford. Nothing remarkable in that. I was about to start Christmas shopping and had taken a bus ride to the shopping centre in Essex. What was remarkable was that I was looking at Christmas cards and was struck by the thought that I shouldn't buy one for "mum and dad".
What I didn't know at the time was that my father had been taken to hospital. He died that night.
Four years later I was working at Alexandra palace. Bullet for My Valentine were playing. It was a normal day's work. I thought the main memory of the day would be stopping a concert goer from removing his trousers in public.
Knowing I'd be working on 15th, I'd rung mum the day before. What I didn't know was that she'd had a fall on the anniversary of dad's death. And although we'd suggested that a personal alarm would be useful, she'd not agreed to have one. Consequently, it took a long time for her to be found and moved to hospital. She never recovered.
Each year around this time of year the Christmas Cactus that friends bought me when dad died comes into bloom. The rich red blooms light up the room and spark bright memories of spending time with my parents.
