There was a question today on Facebook about remembering old sayings that people used to tell you.

It made me remember things my father said to me. When I asked my dad where he was going he would say ‘there and back to see how far it is’ these words had a magically irritating affect on me! Also when he was annoyed he would tell us to ‘go and take a long walk off a short pier!’ Someone also talked about going the see a man about a dog.

The first time as a child you hear these, you think they are true. I used to try and work out what it meant. I didn’t know it was a saying. I imagined people falling to their deaths off the pier. And would dad be bringing a dog home? The worst was always the one about going there and back to see how far it was. It irritated the hell out of me. Eventually I was old enough and he would take usv for rides on the back of his motorbike. Generally I used to go for a ride out into the countryside just for some fresh air and to get away from the city.

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