Not long after I was born, war was declared, and my father was posted to be trained up to go abroad. He was in the regular army, but too young (at under 25) to get a married quarter for his wife and child, so rather than remain alone in expensive digs with a young baby, my mum took me to live with her parents. Her mother had a present for her - "I've cut up these old sheets for nappies for the baby" Granny discovered soon afterwards that she hadn't enough sheets for all the beds, so Mum had to buy her some. The thin and non-absorbent extra nappies acquired at the price of new sheets were NOT a bargain.