I found, in the bottom of an old memory box of my Granny's, her leather Birthday Book.

It was given to her on her birthday by my Great Granny!

I love how her handwriting matures through the book.

She kept a record of everyone's birthday and wrote down memorable dates including the birth of all her grandchildren and anniversaries. She even recorded, her own birth was delivered by the very same Dr Barbara Bailey, who delivered her first daughter, my Auntie!

Against each date is a quotation or extract from a passage. What is your birthday and I will have a peek at your date?!

I have written before about some beautiful things of my grandparents that I was given when they past away. I was so touched when we opened one of the presents from my sister and her husband, on small boy's birthday, as  inside was one of my Grandpa's treasured possessions. My sister was given it and she chose to pass it on to our small boy as we chose his middle name after my Grandpa.

My Grandpa always had this initial paperweight on his fine desk and my sister wrote a heartfelt message to our small boy which melted my heart.

I hope my Grandpa and Granny would be incredibly proud of the little boy he is now becoming!

grandpa 1

grandpa 4

grandpa 2

For my next 'Dear Granny' share I had to post a photograph of her father, Lionel Backhouse's suitcase. It is a wicker case, almost 2 feet wide and fastens together with wooden pegs.

It has the original luggage tag from when he served in the Navy and was on a ship to Bristol from China in about 1919! On the back she had scribbled xmas decorations but when it was given to me it was full of old cards and letters. I found a whole file of heart warming but painfully sad letters she received when my Grandpa died and all the anniversary cards they ever gave to each other!

Now I know where I got my love of hoarding from!

I keep it under the console table in the lounge! I haven't had a chance to read every letter inside and had to wade through a mountain of old wrapping paper to get to them! She used to iron, fold and recycle for the next birthday!

We had our suitcases from John Lewis, as a wedding present. They are fantastic quality and have only got a little bit scuffed over the last 7 years but I can't imagine we will have them for a lifetime. You can pick up suitcases almost everywhere now and they are getting both cheaper and more efficient (Matalan sell a lightest ever range).

I love seeing the carousel go round at the airport, seeing the crew walk through and the pilots with their traditional cases. Some are covered in airport stickers, that tell a story of that travellers life and some are wrapped up in cellophane! Although I would find that so frustrating to unwrap when you got home!

I have a ribbon on mine so I can spot it quickly but lots of people go for those personalised luggage straps. This summer we are off to New Jersey for my brother's wedding and my big boy, who will be 3, will get to use his trunki for the first time! They are fab as they are perfect for a kids weekend or hand luggage and they can sit on them and be pulled through the airport!

I am definitely going to start a tradition of putting stickers on it as once he gets too old for it, he can have it for really cool storage in his bedroom!

I have a bit of a thing about suitcases. Father Christmas left two special boys 2 special suitcases on christmas morning full to bursting with presents! The great thing is we can use them every year, start our own tradition of leaving them by the stocking for a few little extras that don't quite fit and then, if we are not at home for Christmas lunch, they can pack a few new things to take with them! Father Christmas got them in Homesense.

Good grief, did I just mention Christmas?!