Having last seen my nephew George at the start of January last year when he was a nine month old baby I was very much looking forward to seeing him up and walking and talking when I stayed with my sister (his mother) and her husband for a few nights on my recent trip to London. I wasn’t really expecting him to know who the hell I was but surprised to know that he did actually know my name and boy did he like to use it! Not as much as his own name though as he can only speak in the third person for he hasn’t quite mastered his personal pronouns which are of course far easier to use!

When the name George was banded about as being the most likely name for the royal baby last month I was not happy as it would mean a period of connections and comparisons. I guess he doesn’t mind though as he’s no doubt getting a little bit more attention and of course it means that he get the chance (not that he knows it!) to wear such comical t-shirts like the one pictured below which his daddy bought him.

George loves his trains and particularly Thomas the Tank Engine and seems to know just about all the dozens and dozens of other characters. Ever keen to be a popular uncle (I don’t have any competition!) I pounced on his train fascination with some purchases of transport stickers and a Shinkansen (bullet train) train set which came in three parts and cost a whopping 315 yen! Thankfully, he liked it and played with it a lot….until my mum and dad arrived a week later with a newer train!!