Al should let dead rest in peace

A COUPLE of years ago I came across an old video camera and, inside, some ancient footage.

- SUSAN LEE

I pressed play and by a minor miracle the thing whirred into life.

Suddenly I was back on Christmas Day 2002. There was our old sofa and that kitchen wallpaper I never liked. There were the kids - my daughter all toddler pigtails as she unwrapped a doll, my son in a festive shirt, crashing his new bike into the hall paintwork.

And then, as the camera shakily panned around, there were my mum and dad, their faces lit with delight at both their grandkids and the prospect of someone else cooking the turkey.

It took my breath away, this grainy, unexpected time-travelling journey into the past, allowing me for a few moments to once again be in the company of my parents.