Jaconelli's lemon top

I loved staying at my nana and Jack's when I was a kid. They lived in Scarborough on the North Yorkshire coast. I felt so safe and looked after there in her and my granddad Jack's little house. They had a horrible yappy old Chiuaua dog called Bambi- I used to put Marmite on his tongue as revenge when it snapped at me for sitting on his chair- I resisted using the English mustard and chilli powder but was tempted many a time!

My granddad Jack would sit me on his shoulders and take me on a tour of the magic monkey trees in the local cemetry- if I touched one I'd get extra powers (think that's where I got my Supadyke strength from!) We'd go to the wishing well where I'd sneak tuppances into my pocket that someone else had thrown in! Well...they'd already had their wish!

I got friendly with the donkey man and used to walk the donkeys up and down the beach, I'd go back and feed the chimps he had in a shed in his garden. The poor things -were always doped up to the eyeballs- my favourite Jimmy used to wear a red baseball cap and a yellow T-shirt. Jimmy was very popular with the tourists who'd pay extortionate amounts to have their pictures taken with him.

I loved Jaconelli's lemon top icecream, hot waffles from the Corner Cafe covered in syrup and cream, fish and chips with extra mushy peas, my favourite shop was the joke shop. I'd save my pocket money and wishing well money and buy stink bombs and let them off in the local launderette!

Granddad Jack would bring back crabs in a pot every Friday and most Saturdays me and my brother woud have crab races in the back yard! I'd usually win cos bruv never did figure out they ran sideways!

Nana was quite eccentric- she ran a dating agency, was a spiritualist who could talk with the dead, baked cakes (badly), and had a market stall that as far as I can remember never had anything on it for sale. She kept a massive sweet tin hidden at the top of the cellar stairs and me and bruv would dare each other to go grab a sweet out of it and risk the cellar ghost!

Nana and Jack are sadly both gone from this world- but my wonderful memories live on. I love going back to Scarborough more than anything- I'm that naughty mischeivous kid all over again. Unfortunately the joke shop's now a fishing tackle shop, and thankfully the poor chimps have gone. But I still get my Jaconelli's lemon top, dip my feet in the freezing sea and remember days gone by...