My Gran and your Gran

I thought it would be nice to share our memories, of our Grandparents.
My Grandma (Maternal) was born in Wigan, and although she left Wigan as a teenager to live in Slough, she never lost her accent. My memories as a child were that she always called me duck. She used to lick the corner of her handkerchief and wipe my mouth! Later as a young teenager, she told me wondrous stories of carrying love notes for her sisters. She was the youngest of seven sisters, so in those days, it was wasn't proper to marry until ALL the older sisters were married. I have more stories but would love to hear your fond memories.

Re: My Gran and your Gran

My Grandma was stone deaf,but knew if you were talking about her.

Also remember that my Mum and Dad took her and Us out to a meal at what was then a Berni Inns. Grandma had I think Plaice and chips, well there were two pieces of Plaice on the plate, she said that one would be enough to eat then, so she wrapped the other in serviette stuck it in her handbag and said that will do warmed up for my tea tomorrow.

Re: My Gran and your Gran

My Grandad was lovely.
I remember him checking his football coupon as the results came through every Saturday night.
We had to be very quiet so he could listen, and if we weren't he would say "Stop 'anking about you two". Still don't really know what 'anking' was?

My Nan was a funny old gal.
I remember she used to take her teeth OUT to eat, which always amused me.
She also used to tip her cup of tea, bit by bit into the saucer, and slurp it from there!

Nan had gas lights on the walls at her house, and when my brother and I stayed there overnight sometimes, Nan used to turn them down low when we went to bed, I wouldn't let her turn them right off.

Re: My Gran and your Gran

My Gran was widowed before I was born and my father, mother and I, plus my baby brother lived with her in her council house.She and her husband had managed the local Co-op store until he was injured and they were homeless as they lived above the store.

My father and brother died when I was seven, leaving me and my Mum (her d-i-l) living with Nan. When my mother married again when I was eleven, I was left with my Nan, with whom I lived until I was eighteen. So, in fact my Nan raised me causing a gulf between my mother/stepfather and I, that was never reconciled.

Re: My Gran and your Gran

My fathers mother was a wonderful woman, a terrific cook and a great money manager. She was never short of a story to tell by the fireside on a Winters night. There are so many memories of her it’s hard to select a favourite one.
One that always sticks out in my mind was the first time I took the girlfriend to visit her for Sunday tea. We were having a salad and the granny brought Phyllis out an egg in an eggcup saying “Here’s a freshly boiled egg my dear, I thought you’d like to take the shell off yourself and mix the egg into your salad” “Oh yes thank you Mrs Mac” Little did she know the egg was made of wood and she was mortified trying to crack it and keep her composure, I had a great laugh but I paid for it later on the way home. The granny and Phyllis became the best of friends right up to her death six months before we were married in 1965.

Re: My Gran and your Gran

I never met any of my grandparents all passed before i was born, i often feel i missed an important part of my childhood.

Re: My Gran and your Gran

I never met my mother's parents who died before I was born.

Re: My Gran and your Gran

My maternal gran was widowed in her early 40's and was left with three younger children and two married children. My grandfather died at the age of 46 due to stomach cancer. My mum had many miscarraiges and he died when my mum was just told she was pregnant with me and she never got the chance to tell him. I can't even imagine what that would have been like for my gran to be left on her own. So difficult. I used to pop down to her house for home made soup and she always had Blue Riband biscuits . She lived with us in latter years as she had a heart condition. She and I shared a bedroom. We used to lie and chat until we fell asleep.

My paternal gran and grandad's house was always busy with their sons and daughters and their grandchildren. My gran had a heart of gold. My grandad died in his 70's and gran went to live with my auntie.

Re: My Gran and your Gran

My Gran (paternal grandmother) was a rebel (I take after her). Firstly as a child she worked in the Bryant and May match factory. There was a trade dispute and Gran (all 4'.9" of her) was stood on the picket line laying about this Policeman (over 6'.0") with her rolled umbrella.

Gran was also a suffragette and served time in prison (I never found out what for).

During WW1 she was conscripted into Woolwich arsenal making shells for the navy.

After the war Gran & Grandad moved to Brighton as Grandad was an engine builder and boiler Inspector and built a number of steam engines. My only memory of my Grandad (he died when I was only 3) was of waiting with Gran outside the gates of the factory and watching Grandad walking out with his clothes smoldering (he'd been inside the fire box inspecting the water pipes).

Gran's flat had an old fashioned cast iron kitchen range which kept her back kitchen nice and warm. On the hearth stood Gran's ash tray the shell casing of a gun filled with sand. The shell itself stood the other side of the hearth and although very heavy as a kid I remember playing with it. Only after Gran died and we cleared her flat did we find out that this 'shell' was still 'live' - a 6" naval shell which, had it exploded would have taken out the entire block of houses where Gran lived.

Re: My Gran and your Gran

Sadly I knew none of my Grandparents, three died before I was born and the remaining Grandmother died when I was 1 year old.

I do feel I missed out on the special relationship between grandparents and grandchildren though