Things you remember about your own grandparents.

Three of mine died before I was born and the remaining one shortly after so I have no memory of them.

I remember my paternal grandfather wheezing. It fascinated me when I was sitting on his knee. It wasn't until I was older that I knew it was because he had miners' lung, emphysema.

I have a vivid memory of my grandma lancing a boil on my bottom and plastering it in Lion Ointment - ouch! I must have been about 4.

And my 4 and a half stone grandma was a brilliant cook - I remember delicious roasties in the serving dishes that now adorn my dresser. She was minute but boy could she eat!

One grandfather used to sit mildly and obey his wife - I remember her telling him to get a haircut as it was "all unruly" - he was as near bald as it is possible to be - that went into family parlance as you can imagine!

And my other grandfather (step, but the other one died when I was a baby and I did not know him) used to sit us on his lap and play "Pork and Beans" - he would ask us questions and we had to answer pork and beans without laughing. He committed suicide in the gas oven on Christmas Eve when I was 5 - that is not something I will ever forget. I could not walk into their kitchen after that.

I remember my paternal grandfather saving his empty beer bottles so I could take them back to the offey to get the money for them

My one grandfather could stroke away my headaches.,

It was my grandmother's sister that I remember fondly. She used to look after me every Monday evening and it was 'craft night'. She taught me how to make baskets, sew etc. and we used to have a lovely time.

We lived with my Nan until I was six, and I shared a bed with her. I loved it, and felt so safe. I remember her unlacing a pink corset before she got into bed. She was the person I loved the most.
She had 8 children, 2 died in childhood. My Mum was her youngest and Nan was a widow by the time she was born. She worked as a cleaner in the local pub, to bring in some money.

One of my grandfathers died when I was two, he was 82. My maternal grandfather never spoke to me, I only know what his voice sounded like by his talking to the budgie. Grandfather taught the budgie to say "B***, B* the plumber man, couldn't mend a frying pan " the B* being my father.

I only had contact with one grandparent, my maternal grandmother. Both my grandfathers had walked out on my respective grandmothers and they and my paternal grandmother were all dead before I was more than a toddler.

My Gran was lovely but very strict (having to raise 9 children as a single parent was no easy job!). My Mum was very ill after I was born and again after my younger brother was born and Gran came to stay with us for almost 2 years each time until Mum was well enough to cope.

I most remember things about her such as her never going out without her hat on (she had a hatpin and used to plonk her hat on her head then jab the hatpin through her bun to secure it, we were always fascinated how she managed not to stab herself!) and the way she and our Gt Aunt Bessie used to wait for the evening paper and turn to the Deaths notices first going 'Ooh - so and so is dead then'

My maternal grandparents died before I was born, so sadly I never knew them. My paternal grandfather was wonderful, he was a railway signalman and I can remember him in his box with all the levers he had to pull, and a little armchair in the corner. He also had to open and close the level crossing gates. On his days off he used to take me for a walk, and we chatted all the way. He had a strong resemblance to Churchill and was born and died in the same years as him. I adored him and memories if him are very vivid. Lovely man, very patient.

My grandparents were all deceased and sadly, I never knew any of them. When I got married my husband's grandmother attended our wedding and we used to visit her often. A wee Glasgow lady and the laughs we had, I loved my visits to her, and she was the nearest thing to a grandmother I ever had. I was blessed that she lived to see both of our children and many other great-grandchildren from the other family members.
We all still remember her with great affection to this day.

I knew all 4 grandparents, not sure that 2 of them knew me.

On the paternal side, they had 9 children. Many of those went on to have big families, there were about 36 grandchildren, so although my father took me and my younger brother up the lane (we all lived out in the countryside) to visit them they really only knew we were one of their grandchildren. Granny was 'doting' and Granda was local gravedigger and grew veg which he transported into town every day on his bicycyle. He'd sail past me on the road on his bike, don't think he knew who I was, I was about 8 at the time.

On the maternal side, they lived in the town so in the heart of winter I'd stay with them during the week to avoid trudging 2 miles in the snow, alone, at about 6 or 7 or 8 years. No bus route and no car, DF worked shifts and cycled to work. One day Granny cut my hair during school lunch break, she lived near the school. Can you imagine a grandparent doing that nowadays. Boy !! was she a hard taskmaster. Did sewing for the neighbours. First person in the street to have a fridge. I thought she was very old with her white hair and pinny but she was only 60 when she died from cancer. Our family (4 of us) then moved into the house in town with maternal grandfather. I was then 11 and we all lived together until I left home at 24 years. Maternal Granda died from pneumonia at 86.

I remember my maternal grandparents as lovely gentle people , I do remember cuddling Grandpa and feeling the hole in his chest/side he was in a mine collapse years before in the Welsh valleys , he never fully recovered as his ribs were crushed but he managed to open a working man's cafe here in London where he brought his wife and two daughters when he could no longer work in the mines. He was in and out of hospital a lot and once wrote a beautiful poem about the nurses on the ward. Nan died when I was 10 she used to take me in the garden and pick antirrhinum flowers she would pinch the flowers to make them 'speak'.
My paternal grandfather died at the Somme before his son my Dad was even born so I only knew my step grandad he was very standoffish and didn't have much to do with us my Nan was a fat rolly polly Nanny who played records on the gramophone and we would take turns winding it up and dance around the front room.

I was lucky enough to grow up with all 4 grandparents. My maternal grannie died when I was 13, my first major loss. I remember them all with love and increasing affection and respect. They each of them influenced my personality and understanding of the world. They were all gentle, kind and made their 7 grandchildren feel we were quite the cleverest children who ever walked the earth. How lucky were we.

My mother was orphaned age seven and my paternal grandmother died a year before I was born so only knew one grandparent and adored him , we lived in South Wales but he had moved down from Anglesey and untill his death when I was twenty two he chose to speak in Wenglish , he taught me so much , to respect all mankind regardless of colour or creed, to always question why when hearing of a person doing wrong not accept he did wrong end of. And he sang Myfanwy as my lullaby . Oh he is responsible for me being known in the family as Anniebach, bach when I grew to five feet seven inches and had three sisters five footers was rather amusing

Only knew my maternal grand-mother. Cold and haughty, immaculately dressed and bejewelled- playing bridge and sewing for the poor (!)- she wouldn't let us come anywhere near if we had a cold- I can still see her with a handkerchief on her mouth, lest she caught germs.

All of my grandparents died before I was born. My brother new our maternal grandparents and he adored them. I feel I got to know them through the loving memories he and my Mum had of them.

I loved my Nan and 'NanDad' :-) and so did my girls. They were lucky to have been able to share their lives for over 10 years as kids.

My Nandad was a coal-man and used a horse and cart when I was little. I used to go out with him on a Saturday morning on his round to collect his money. Then we'd stop at the pub, The horse would be tied up and I would be left on the steps outside with a glass of squash and a cone of winkles ( Londoners :-) )

After some time my Nandad would roll out the pub , and the horse would take us back to the yard which was lucky as non one else on the cart was capable LOL

I have millions of amazing memories and stories and even now my girls talk about them. I can only hop[e to leave those sorts of precious memories for my own grandchildren and great grandchildren if Im lucky :-))

Grandad came twice a week with lucky bags and the most outrages stories. We loved him and he loved us. The sweets, the story telling, the attention and affection were in short supply in our house. So he made a massive impression. He was the loveliest man. Funny enough he wasn't a particularly good dad to my father

My paternal grandpa was a real gentleman and a 'gentle man' - so benign and caring. He died when I was 7 but I knew him long enough to have only happy memories of him. He was the only person I ever saw wearing spats. Funny how some things linger in the memory!

I had four grandparents, growing up in the 1950's and my dearest gran has made me what I am today. She loved to garden, and I remember how she squirted soap on peace, her best rose, made ice cream, let me watch Bill and Ben, Andy Pandy etc.
I also remember not knowing my "other" paternal grandparents. My grandfather married a woman in his 70's and I am sure she was OK, but as a liittle girl, and later, an adult, I had no connection
i have a picture on the wall of my gran, and some ornaments I will pass on. Strangely, my grampa, who was a headmaster at primary school, ignore me, and I ignored him.

I was lucky enough to have two sets of grandparents. One set came on holiday with us when I was about 5. I treasure the photo of us on the beach. Granddad in his suit with shirt and tie. Nan with her best dress and what looks like a sun burned face. My other grandmother was a tiny lady. Very controlled hair and always a wrap around pinny. She was scared of cars as she got older. Not surprising as she grew up with horses and traps. Granddad was a quiet presence but a benevolent one helping me when i needed it. He died in my early life. I loved them all deeply.

I adored both my grandma's and my paternal grandad, mum's dad died when she was 11. Paternal grandparents were aged 41 & 42 when I was born.
We lived on next street to them from me being 7 and as my dad's youngest sister is 2 weeks younger than me, we were and still are best friends. I was at their house everyday. Grandma used to help us make pastry which we rolled out so much it finished up grey but she still let us put currants in and bake it. We used to camp in the backyard, old wooden maiden with army blanket thrown over it, she'd make us banana butties and glasses of milk for our picnic. She had the patience of a saint, she taught us to knit and sew, tell us stories nothing was too much trouble. Grandad used to sing silly songs to us, wear his flat cap back to front when he was chopping wood and was everyone's Grandad Billy. On Sundays all the family, children, grandchildren and eventually great grandchildren used to descend on their little house for a buffet lunch. We always had great fun playing games, putting on shows for the adults. They both died of cancer within 6 months of each other, they were married for 56 years and rarely went out without each other, they'd had to get married at 18 & 19, the baby they had been expecting died at the age of 6 weeks and people didn't think their marriage would last, but theirs was a match made in heaven and they were the heart of the family.
My maternal grandma was almost 20 years older, she was 60 shortly after I was born, she used to wear a wrap around pinny. I remember having tea at her house and then listening to Sing Something Simple on the radio as she didn't have a TV. When I went to secondary school I went to her house for lunch every day, Wednesday was my favourite as it was baking day and she made the most amazing pies. As I grew I loved going to see her on my own during school holidays. Taking her black and white mints, her favourites, we'd sit and talk for hours. I was 17 and still at school when she had her first stroke, I was devastated, but she was determined and although she needed a wheelchair if she was going farther than the end of the street, round the house she did fine. She had a wicked sense of humour and the first time my boyfriend went for tea, she said to him, with a very serious expression" I hope you' ve brought your own food, cos you're not eating mine." He didn't know what to say, I told him not to take any notice and then she started laughing, she never let him forget it. After a further 2 strokes she died at the age of 84 just a couple of months after I got engaged.

My paternal grandfather died before I was born. My paternal grandmother was a little whisp of a woman, dad used to take me to see her Sunday mornings, I don't remember her ever showing me affection although she did often slip me a few pennies.
My maternal grandfather died when mum was young. Step grandad was in the merchant navy so I didn't see much of him. My maternal grandmother is really the grandparent I knew well. I would take myself to her house and take her very overweight JR for walks. She was a lovely cuddly nan in every sense of the word. Until I was about 12 she lived in a large house (rented) with outside loo and gas lighting.
Sadly neither of my DC met any of my grandparents.