Ben and girlfriend

It's official - Ben has a girlfriend. Her name is Amy, and she's a day-student at the college Ben is currently attending (Strathmore) in Stoke. He went to her 21st birthday party on Saturday October 30th in Stoke. Amy's family were impressed by Ben's gentle good manners.

It certainly helped to take his mind off the sadness of the memorial service for his grandad held the day before (see previous post).

Whatever the outcome, having a real girlfriend will be an important experience for Ben.

Arthur Benjamin Bond 11/1/1920 - 19/10/2010

It was something of a miracle that he made it to his 90th birthday in January of this year. He had so many things wrong with him towards the end that he had become something of a medical dictionary. In the end it was his breathing problem combined with the effects of a brain tumor which led to his departure from the world of form.

This is a photo taken in Evesham last summer on one of his last trips away from Bromsgrove.