Memories of my grandmother

I have already described my crabbit grandmother but a couple of stories pass down from my mum came to mind. Granny was left with 7 children to bring up alone and one night when she was just going to bed she suddenly wondered where the bairn could be . He was number 7 and was found at the bottom of the garden fast asleep . The bairn is now 98 .There was a son at the start and at the end of the line and my poor aunt who was the oldest girl was forbidden to go and be a nurse as she wanted because she was needed to help her mother at home despite having a full time hard job. Her younger sister were luckier and two became nurses.
One day one of the sister swallowed a needle . The remedy administered by her mother was a plate of really thick porridge . She came to no harm .
I always picture granny with these metal hair curlers dangling from her head though she would never leave the house without her hat.She did have her standards.

I never knew any of my grandparents. Bad in one way, as I have no memories, only stories that my parents told me about them.
However, good in another way as I can behave how I like with my grandchildren as I have no preconceived ideas about how grandparents are supposed to behave.

I love these stories about grandparents, especially as so many of us are grandparents ourselves now. When I was little there were two sets of grandparents. My mother's parents lived in a large and lovely flat overlooking the sea. My father's parents lived in a large but quite forbidding house in the country. My maternal grandparents were magical and my little sister and I adored staying with them. We had Cox's apples and tea in bed in the mornings, then porridge which had been simmering on the stove all night and then there would be hours spent on the beach before returning for lunch or tea or supper and having luxurious hot baths and fantastic bedtime stories. Life at the paternal grandparents' house was a bit scary however. Grandfather was a typical Victorian and was unable to show any emotion and Grandmother was very strict and there were all sorts of rules we had to try to remember e.g. sit up straight (I now tell my grandchildren to do likewise!), eat everything on your plate, do not make personal remarks etc. etc. But after my paternal grandmother was widowed she seemed to soften and we spent many happy hours in her studio (she was an artist) messing about with paints. I am so glad I knew all my grandparents and that I learnt at an early age to love and respect the older generation. My sister and I were very lucky.

I've just remembered that when my dad died and I was 47, two of his sisters who I had not seen since I was a child, arrived at the funeral. They looked at me and one of them exclaimed, "It's our Mam!" I was quite pleased to think that somehow Nana still lived on in me.

What a lot of lovely memories.

I never knew my maternal grandparents as they died when my mother was a child. We used to visit my paternal grandparents (Nana and Pops) a couple of times a year. They lived in what I thought was a very posh house as it had an indoor toilet and bathroom. It was actually a council house. They also had a lawn as well as a yard, probably what we would now call a patio. I remember once being told not to push the lawnmower on the concrete as it would make 'chips'. I was so tempted because I loved chips, though we rarely had them!

I only remember my Nana as a vague 'housewifely' type figure but there was also a tiny lady known as 'Little Nana' living there. I think she might have been my Pop's mother. Nana died of a heart attack when she was about 60.

Pops we saw more often as he was a 'travelling salesman' with a car which also made me think of him as rich! He worked for Colgate/Palmolive so we always had free soap and toothpaste! He was quite a charmer I believe and sang in working mens' clubs. He remarried an old flame and lived till he was 90. He met my eldest son when he was a toddler and Pops was then living in a caravan! Such a character- I loved him though he might have been a bit of a rogue by all accounts!

I didn't know my maternal grandparents very well, however I was very close to my paternal grandparents. My grandfather was always cheerful and smiling. I stayed with them a lot and have so many wonderful memories. I remember my grandmother doing the washing at the sink and I would have a bowl of suds on a little table in the kitchen with 'my washing'. We would sing Little Brown Jug and then it would be out to the mangle. I remember her cat, my bestest friend (!), would bring home wild rabbits as big as himself and my grandmother would skin them and prepare them as food for him. We would walk to town cutting across the fields of cows of which I was very wary but my grandmother would say that they weren't interested in us. My grandfather could identify all the bird songs. They lived at number13 which I believe is my lucky number. I certainly feel very lucky to have had them for my grandparents, I feel I was very loved.

I only had one granny and she had been left to bring up 7 children on her own so had not interest in me at all . She just found me an irritation .I was lucky to have aunts who took an interest in me which made up for this a bit .My own children had a loving granny whom they loved as well but only one and no grandfathers either .

I don't remember my paternal grandmother at all, but I do remember my maternal grandma. She was an alcoholic and lived in London's East End, in Canning Town. She would travel by coach to visit us in Sussex and would always be drunk when she arrived. She had a bottle of gin in her handbag and always brought me a bag of threepenny bits (remember those?). She would keep nipping out to the outside loo to have a crafty swig of gin and come back in to the house slightly more drunk than before. After lunch she would ease her large posterior into father's armchair and sing bawdy songs, stamping her feet in time with the song and chuckling at how naughty the words were. After tea she was bundled back onto another coach and sent back to London.

I must have been a very unusual grand daughter! My paternal grandmother died when I was 47! My father was 74 and my granny was 95. I was alone with her at her end having had the strangest feeling that I needed to get to her. We were born on the same day and claimed to be twins, her being the better looking one.
My paternal grandfather died when I was 19. He was a very upright citizen and he expected perfection from his children and grandchildren. He had had to take over his father's business at 19 and was a very well thought of person in the local business circles.
My maternal grandmother died when I was 15. She was a lovely gentle highland lady who did a lot of wonderful cooking. She also knitted and embroidered. I have most of her beautifully made table cloths.
My maternal grandfather died when my mum was still a teenager so I never met him. I wish I had known him and when I ever found someone who did know him I was all questions trying to get to know him.
Both my parents have died now. They were great grandparents to my children. My children were 23 and 12 when my mum died and 32 and 21 when my dad died. My dad took the place of surrogate father to my children as their fathers were a disgrace and absent anyway. My mum met 1 great grandchild and my father met 4 great grandchildren. Since the death of my father another grandchild has been born and called after him.
I also met quite a number of great aunts and uncles. One spinster lady who was a particular favourite of mine was a typical old school mistress and insisted on very old fashioned standards. I had to change before a meal and have my hair redone before daring to sit at the table in her house and I now look back on those days with so much gratitude and love. I experienced my great aunt's own Victorian childhood in 1950s.
I hope that my grandchildren think I am doing fine as a grandmother. One 5 year old gets a bit muddled with his compliments. I am the best Gran he NEVER had. He still loves my soft skin even though I am old. Even so he is a great wee guy! I hope he always feels this way about me.
SPF

I was lucky enough to have many years with my grandparents. The last one died just before my 40th birthday and in fact I knew 2 of my great grandparents, the last one dying when I was 14. I couldn't begin to list how important each was in their own way, especially as my home life was a bit dysfunctional. Sadly, my children didn't share my positive experience and this has made me determined to be as involved as I can with my grandson.

This thread makes me wonder, in the future, what will our grandchildren be saying about all of us? Hope it's something good.

Bijou - you must be even older than me!

My maternal grandma was a tiny red haired woman who indoors wore a pinny but when going out wore a fox collar complete with head which fascinated my sister and I. In 1943 I was granted compassionate leave from the WAAF to visit her in hospital where they said she was dying. Whilst there she sat up an d said "I am not going to die because if I do he (grandad) will be down the Fellowship every night. She lived another ten years. Grandad was a staunch trade unionist and Labour Party member friend of Kier Hardie.

Reading all these memories makes me realise how lucky I was to have all 4 grandparents up to my young adulthood. So many of you didn't manage that.
As I wrote before, we lived with my maternal grandparents, I was very close with my Gran, we used to get dressed together in front of the gas fire in winter. She somehow managed to do it all under her nightie. Very modest. She played the piano, and I used to sing for her lady friends when they came to play cards.
Paternal grandparents lived down the road and held big family parties every Saturday for years, where I played with my cousins. Each family contributed something for the meal.
I wish I could offer our grandchildren the same things, but we're all so far apart now.

my maternal grandma was a tiny ginger haired woman. When going out she always wore a fox fur collar complete with head which fascinated my sister and I. She kept a supply of sweets in the sideboard drawer. I was granted compassionate leave from the WAAF in 1943 because she was dying. Whilst I was there she suddenly sat up and said "I am not going to die because he (grandpa) will be down the Fellowship Club every night". She lived another ten years. My grandpa was a staunch trade unionist and member of the a Labour Party a friend of Kier Hardie.

Some lovely "grandma stories" here.
I never knew either of my grandmothers. My dad's mum died before I was born. Mum's mum left, leaving her with her dad when she was very young. My mum hardly ever talked about her.
Though she had her faults as a mum (she'd had no example as a child) my mother was a lovely grandma to my daughter. Hope I can do the same if I ever get the chance.

I wish I knew a bit more about my grandparents - I only recently found out what my paternal grandfather's Christian names were, but know nothing about my grandmother. The only grandmother I knew was (I think) my mother's stepmother. I didn't see her very much and when I did, she didn't seem to like me although she was never unkind. I was tolerated. Even when quite young I got the impression that there was a kind of estrangement between my mother and her step sisters, as if they were "the family" and she was a sort of odd one out. I hope my grandson remembers me with more affection.

My maternal grandmother was an inspired player of hide and seek. She had a chameleon like talent for hiding in plain sight and it always seemed to take us ages to find her. Most unexpected to find Granny standing bolt upright on the draining board holding a broom in front of her.

I can only vaguely remember my maternal grandfather as he died when I was five. All I do remember is him sitting in his armchair by the fire. My maternal grandmother I remember better. She use to take me and my mother to tea in the Lyons Café in Dover occasionally and I also remember visiting her at home where she kept chickens and helping to collect eggs in the early morning.
My paternal grandparents didn't live near us until I was about 5 and I can remember visiting them and going with my grandfather down to his allotment which was just behind their house. I also did this later when they moved back to our town. We used to go visit them for afternoon tea on a Sunday and they had a bad-tempered Scottie dog who had to be put in another room while we children were there! This granny was very short and we used to call her 'little granny' to distinguish her from the other 'big' granny.

My grandparents were all dead by the time I was about 4, so I have no memories at all
However, I had the most wonderful, loving parents so although it might have been nice to have gps, I don't feel I've missed out.

My Nana was a big character and mollycoddled my mum right up until she died at the age of 67. They sometimes had blazing rows, but my mum was most definitely her favourite child and they remained very, very close. Now my mum just wants to die and be with her.

I never knew my grandparents because they had all passed away by the time I was one. I did have a wonderful auntie and uncle who were nearly 40 when I was born and they were more like grandparents than an uncle and auntie.

My mother was a much better grandmother than a mum and I learnt a lot from watching her with my children.

I never knew my grandmothers. They both died before I was born, one of TB at 36 and the other of cancer at 54. Something I missed out on I think. I learnt my grandmothering skills from my DM who was a brilliant Gran. Miss her even after 20 years.

My Gran is so much in my mind especially now I have 2 DGC. I would love to be as good a Gran as her. My Grandad too was so kind and patient. I have his chair at my desk. He taught me to read sitting on his knee on it and now I write all the time in it. All my grandparents were a huge part of my life. Of course I didn't appreciate that until they'd gone
On a morbid but brighter note, Gran somehow knew her time had come. We had a lovely chat, I had the opportunity to tell her how much she meant to me. We said goodbye. That night she went to sleep and never woke up. Sorry. Tears again.

Both GFs died before I was born. My maternal GM died when my mum was very young, her father remarried the typical evil stepmother so I only visited her once, when I was 10. We stayed for a week, and although I got on really well with her sister, who lived with her, my GM had very little to do with me, apart from taking me to visit my GF's grave. I was delighted when mum said we wouldn't be going again.
My paternal GM lived with my aunt for a time. When my parents visited, my cousin & I spent most of our time in the park with the dog, just to keep out of GMs way. She was extremely grand, her hair was always in a bun and she never left her bedroom without her thick woolen stockings which she wore even on the hottest days. I used to knit both GMs a pair of bedsocks each Christmas, but don't remember ever getting a thankyou from either of them. I remember always feeling very envious of my school friends when they told me about their GPs.
I started my family tree when my children were about 12 & 14, and wasn't able to glean much information about my mother's family, my dad told me about the evil SM after she'd died & about her older brother, who had abused her until he was caught by my GF & kicked out the house. It really is no wonder she didn't want to talk about them.