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I remember my grandparents with much love. Grandpa had very bad arthritis but still allowed me to clamber onto his poor knees. Granny was great. Typical country, tweedy lady. A great healer of local pets. She taught me so much. A very warm lady who survived my Grandpa by many years. I miss them, and my own parents, every day.

It is now just over a year since I lost my much loved grandma . She was 99. I loved her so much. From tea parties in the Wendy House, baking, gardening, walking in the hills collecting blackberries...,,,,Almost every one of my happy memories involve my grandma . She was so proud to become a great, great grandma in 2006 when my own darling granddaughter was born and she loved to have the little ones around her. She taught me so much throughout my life and if I could be a tiny percentage of as good a grandma as she was it would be amazing . She was a lovely (often feisty) lady, who I will miss every day for the rest of my life . The circle of life goes on .

I remember all 4 of my Grandparents, my mum is the eldest of 7 children and her parents lived in a large house with cellars, a lounge, a parlour and a kitchen and it had 6 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms and a separate (3rd) toilet. I am the eldest of 21 cousins and we used to have large gatherings in the house. My Grandpa was a long distance wagon driver - but also drove local taxis when he was at home. I remember it being strict but always lots of fun when we were there. I even used to go there with one of my cousins for lunch when we were at school as Granny always fed us well.
My paternal Grandma was ill and in a home, (the equivalent of a hospice nowadays), we used to visit her on Sundays and it smelt funny there. My paternal Grandpa Gardener for the local Council and had an apprentice who became very famous with the initials AT. He used to cycle everywhere -as did my Dad - and I had a seat on the back. I remember the house was always cold and felt damp and it was very small in comparison to my other GP's house, it only had 3 bedrooms and a lounge and tiny kitchen. My mum used to make extra food and we used to run round the corner with it for him.

Since my parents were not young when they met and married, and it was around ten years after that before I was born, I only ever knew one grandparent - my mother's mother.

Granny was a Victorian. I don't know exactly when she was born, but she seemed a very old lady to me when she died in 1959; in actual fact, she was probably born no earlier than 1880. Granny was tall and stately and astonishingly upright - she had been raised in the era of the backboard,
a device which was strapped to the backs of young ladies for an hour or two each day to ensure that they held their spines straight, whether walking, standing or sitting, and she undoubtedly wore tight corsets throughout her life. She was not a cuddly person.

I don't think her hair was ever cut. She wore it up during the daytime (the backboard training coming in useful, to help her support all that weight), but at bedtime she took it down, brushed it out and formed it into a single, very long, plait. She could easily have sat on her hair, even when plaited, and washing it must have been a fearful business.

She was born into a wealthy and double-barrelled family in Warwickshire, and I have absolutely no doubt that she would have "come out" as a debutante and been presented at Court, as all aristocratic young ladies were in those days. I sometimes wonder what she would make of my life now as compared to hers then. She would probably tut-tut sadly over how I have "come down in the world", as well as attempting to encourage me to better posture and less sloppy habits of speech!

I never met my paternal grandparents and I have quite sad, limited memories of my maternal grandparents, they seemed ill and worn out for the few years that I knew them. My granddad seemed to be quite withdrawn but my grandmother taught me to crochet while she was very ill in bed. I cherish the memories of being next to her in the deep feather bed, she wore a crochet bed jacket and was always gentle and patient. I must have only been about 6 or 7 years old.

Grandad had a motorbike and side car and took us out to the countryside for picnics

Grandad always had a corgi and her name was always Susie, Grandma was his 'Queen'

My fond memories of "sharing" my grans hard boiled sweet collection.

Weekends with my Nana were totally grandchild focussed. Walking around her local park at 6.30am on a Sunday morning to get 'an appetite for breakfast' (my sister and I were always awake very early!
Pikelets for tea, which had been toasted on the brass toasting fork in front of a coal fire;these were served dripping with real butter (my mum used to mix butter with marg., to make it go further).
Going with Grandad to the local news shop to get his Sports Mercury, knowing we would get a packet of sweet cigarettes.
Clomping around in Nana's heels with cheeks reddened with her Bourjois rouge which came in a dinky little cardboard pot.
Then sleeping in a feather bed, with a feather eiderdown and a stone hot water bottle wrapped in one of Nana's wyncyette nighties.
Never much money, but oh! such happy memories!

I didn't know any of my grandparents, both my grandfather's died young and all I know of my grandmother's is what i have between told. My maternal GM was a young widow with ten children and a farm to run so must have been a strong character. Paternal GM loved auctions, bought several houses and most of our 'family heirlooms' came from her. I also love auctions and get some amazing bargains; it must be genetic. She also had a cataract operation at the age of ninety and after that was able to knit again. I also love to knit.

I have my Nan to thank for my early start to reading and love of books. She used to sit and read and write simple words with me when I was very young but it was only much later in life that I found out that she could hardly read and write herself (I thought her sight was her problem), because when she went to school in the 1890s her teacher found out that she was very good at sewing so asked her to sew pillow cases and petticoats for her rather than bother with the the literacy lessons that she found so hard!

My step grandad was every bit a real grandad to me. He lost three children to measles before WW1 and his youngest son, a rear gunner, died over Germany on his 21st birthday. Grandad Hunt made toys for us, meals for us, looked after our dog when we were on holiday and, in his gruff way, loved us.

I didn't really know my dad's parents as they died when I was very young. My mums mum taught me to knit sew and crotchet and I have loved these crafts all my life she was a very active member of the local church non drinker yet had a guilty secret on Saturday afternoons she would watch wrestling on the TV and get quite carried away shouting for her favourites. Grandad always came home for his main meal at lunchtime we had to be very quiet while he listened to the archers! When he was not at work he would take us on great adventures walks in the woods or along the riverbank he always carried a penknife and would cut giant leaves which we used as parasols great carefree days.

i remember as a little girl going to the sand dunes at st annes to have a picnic. We played in the sand and at the end of the day before it was time to leave we started having races along the sand dunes. My nana was getting a bit cold and she tied a neck scarf round her neck. It was getting more windy as the tide came in and my nanas scarf blew off. We all looked for it but couldnt find it anywhere. Every time we go back even to this day with my own children we all talk about the neck scarf and if we would ever find it!

I never knew my maternal gran, as she died when Mum was only 8. I seem to remember my paternal gran only as a small figure in a London house with an old fashioned grated fire in the kitchen. On the other hand, Mum's dad lived with us until I was about 10. He was a great doer, mending shoes, growing veg, raising chickens and generally being my brother's best friend, and owner of a comfy lap. It is lovely hearing all the memories of people lucky enough to have known and loved their grans.

I never knew my paternal grandparents, they were both dead long before I was born.
My mum's parents, however, were a huge influence in my life.
Nana taught me the practical stuff, cooking, baking etc and I also learned from her to make sure I'm up, showered, dressed, hair done and make up on before 8-00 every day. I still do it now, well, most days!
Grandad was just wonderful, he and I would sit for hours with books piled high around us. He encouraged the natural curiosity of a child, and taught me so much, if I asked about anything, where, when, why, how, Grandad would be sure to find out and relay the answer to me.
He also instilled in me a sense of justice and fairness, to do as I would be done by and to never, ever look down on anyone!
No-one else has ever influenced my lfe in the way that Grandad did, he was the kindest, most loving and gentle man imaginable and I loved him to bits!

We stayed with my grandparents in Wales every year when we were children. We always had a day trip to Butlins and my Grandad would brave whatever fairground ride we wanted to go on! He even braved the rollercoaster when my sister's french exchange friend wanted a ride! We always had banana butties for lunch and fish and chips at the seaside on the way home!

I didn't see my nan-nan very often because she lived in Sheffield and we lived in Manchester but whenever she came over she would always read Mrs Pepperpot books to me. It is my greatest memory of her. I loved the stories but reading them myself was never as good as listening to my nan-nan!

Used to spend school holidays at my grandparents. My grandma was a wonderful cook and every Sunday she took us to a local farm to see the animals followed by a toastie back home.

My maternal Grandma bathed me in love and light, she was there when I was born.She righted the wrongs in my young life, she was a safe haven.Her cakes were the best, her bread, magnificent ! She took on my two teenage cousins when their parents died, raising them when she was almost in her seventies.
She had no money but she was generous with time, always teaching me things, french knitting, cards, tricks, and I spent many hours watching her bake.She died many years ago but I am still wrapped in her love.Paternal Grandma was also lovely, but she 'Belonged' to my older sister !!

My nanny used to make me (age 8) a cup of tea in a proper cup and saucer in a hawthorn pattern (we weren't allowed to drink tea at home...) with a bourbon biscuit to dip in. I later found a matching jug at a boot fair and use it to remind me of lovely memories and to keep hair bands in. :D

My Grandmother had a whistling kettle, but she was quite deaf so when the kettle whistled my Grandfather would shout BOILING BETTY and my Grandmother would go and make the tea. How times have changed nowadays one would be tempted to say well you know what to do make the dam tea yourself.
I now have a whisting kettle and every time it boils I think of this and it puts a smile on my face.

I only knew one grandparent and that was my beloved grandma (aka little grandma as she was tiny) who always lived with us. She always wore a wrap-over pinny and I remember clearly reaching up into her pocket where she kept a never-ending supply of peanuts with red skins on. She had a permanent 'dew-drop' fixed on the end of her nose which defied gravity! Always a source of wonder! She never missed the wrestling on TV on Saturdays and I can see her now, sat waving her little fists and shouting at the 'baddy'. Come Sunday, you'd always find her in the same chair, hat on, hymn book on her knee, joining in the singing on Hymns of Praise. A wonderful, funny, lovely & loving lady, and all I wanted to be when I was small was a grandma like her. And now I'm a Nana to two most beautiful little girls - although without the 'dew-drop'. I still love red-skinned peanuts though.

I always remember watching Watch with Mother with my Nana as my Mum owner her own hairdressing salon so my sister & I used to call it Watch with Nana

My Nana was the best (apologies to everyone ) She worked until she was nearly 80. She was the lynchpin of our family, wise, kind ,warm and funny. A typical cockney of the time.

One of my most vivid memories is staying at her house in Islington. She lived on the top 2 floors of a 4 story house with my Grandad who was a coalman. They had no garden obviously so on sunny days she would open the landing window and put me out to play on the walled roof of the bathroom on the floor below.

So there I was 5 years old, 2 floors up playing on a roof. No-one thought anything of it !!

On Saturdays I would go with my granddad , and Blossom the horse pulling the coal cart and collecting the money for the weeks coal. Then Grandad would go in the pub to 'do his books' leaving me outside with a glass of squash and a cone of winkles and a pin !!

Happy days and so much more simple. I miss them endlessly.