This weekend, two years after her death, we scattered mum’s ashes into the sea at a few places that have played a part in our lives as a family; Chesil Beach, Swanage and Shell Bay.

Swanage was a favourite destination for several years. We often went there with my nan and grandad (pictured below), and as we stood on the beach on Sunday morning, my thoughts were with them as well as with mum and of all the times we spent together, there on the front.

I’ve always liked the headland behind us in this photograph. It’s one of those features which reminds me so much of the past. The photo below of teh headland was taken by me on a school trip in 1983.

The image below shows the same headland, along with my brother in his dinghy, around 1980.

We then moved on to Shell Bay, another beach which occupies a special place in our childhood memories. The image below is of my mum and my nan on Shell Bay, again around 1980.

The image below, also on Shell Bay, shows my mum in the sea having tumbled out of my brother’s dinghy, and my dad on the beach looking on.

It was almost on that very spot that we scattered more of mum’s ashes, and it was so poignant and quite poetic, to watch the waves coming in to almost gather her up and take her away.