Wrapping a protective arm around my brother, John, we strode into the school playground.
‘I’ll look after you,’ I promised him.
It was September 1984, and John, then 11, was starting secondary school.
Aged 16, I’d be keeping a close eye on him.
I loved my kid brother.
We remained close, and in 1987 I welcomed my beautiful daughter, Cheryl.
John was the perfect uncle. Ten years later, Nichola completed our family.
Meanwhile, John was busy building his own happily ever after.
Got a job in a biscuit factory, married, and in 1998 had a son, Jay.
We lived a few streets apart and I loved bringing up
