Lancashire Telegraph librarian Danny Cleary reflects on life as a Londoner in East Lancashire in his blog . . .

As I met Clare I was a childless bachelor, then a married stepdad and then a step grandfather. My dad always said I was lazy but he did not realise I would have a ready-made family.

The last of my stepchildren, Freddie, left home a couple of months back to begin his studies at Birmingham University. Bestowed with a winning personality and a shed-load of brainpower, Freddie got some rather splendid A-level results and booked his place at one of the country’s top colleges. Once there, his degree in mathematics would extend to what we can all see is a very fast and valuable lesson in life. We often wonder how much exercising of his right arm is going on in the many bars and clubs of Birmingham. Also, we wonder whether he has seen the inside of the library for a second time.

Clare was a little fraught before he left, which is only natural, and we allowed him a few weeks to settle before visiting him in his halls in Edgbaston. We found a thinner and different Freddie. Even in the space of two months there had been a change in him. Even his wonderful East Lancs accent had changed a little. This, being the holder of quite a broad Cockney one, came as a bit of a disappointment to me as I love a rich accent.

We both wondered what the change in him was and were talking about it for a couple of days later. It never really hit us though that this little boy who I met in 2004 was now a man and everything in his life is in front of him. It is the first time Freddie has lived outside of the area, in a city to boot and he is away from his mum, me and the rest of the family.

Clare and I have been happily knocking about the house, keeping it tidy, having tea a little later in the evening and shopping just for two. The overriding factor though was how quiet the house has been. Not that Freddie is a noisy person; he is just a big presence.

In a week’s time, he will be returning for the Christmas break. He maturely booked his returning train a few weeks back from Birmingham to Preston and then told us he would be returning at 1.30, in the morning. No wonder he got a £9 ticket.

So, the prodigal son will be returning with his head full of mathematics, lectures, university life, drinking and the rest of it.

Freddie and his flatmates have spoken about their Christmas return from university and the consensus among them is that home is no longer home. They have moved away now and their home is in Birmingham.

This might appear a little stark to all those parents busily readying the house for their offspring’s return but it also has a semblance of maturity in there - which will soon be shattered once they let us know they need some money and can we do three months worth of clothes washing.