Favourite memories with your grandparents

I have lots of happy memories of my grandparents, my grandad looked like Winson Churchill and my nan was very tall and a proper Eastender. she always buttered the bread before slicing the bread by holding it in her arms and slicing it towards her chest. My great grandmother also lived until I was 12, she had beautiful silky white hair that she could sit on that she used to let us comb. My mum's mum lived in Yorkshire so we ddin't see her as often but the always sent us lovely parcels of new dresses, underwear and socks at christmas and birthdays as well as lovely presents including a big flat sticky lolly. I never met my maternal grandad, he was in the Swedish merchant navy and disapperaed in September 1939, my nan received a telegram in 1944 to say he had died in the USA but never got any more news. i have recently found out that he died of TB and apparently lived a double life as he also seemed to have a wife in america, my cousin and I have been delving into the archives and have also found photos from his war service for the US lifeboat service so at long last we know what he looks like.

my mums dad died just after the 1st world war , her mum died when I was 1 year old, so I don't remember her either. I vaguely remember my dad's dad , he died when I was 4 yo. his mum died before I was born. I would love to have memories of them.
we make sure our grandchildren have lots of memories of us, when they were younger we took them for picnics ,drives to the beach, they loved to bake when they came to visit, and have sleep overs, the years go past so quickly, they are teenagers now but we still love to see them.

Both my grandmothers died aged 60.
Having pasties on the sand dunes near Perranporth, listening to the sky larks.
Having sweets in little paper bags with the other granny.

I would have been about eight and my cousin 11 months older when Grandma, (maternal) asked us to hit and buy her five Players Weights. My mother’s laughter when my somewhat precocious cousin asked “plain or cork tipped, Nan?”

This was the same Grandma that married a soldier during WW1 whose most notable statement was that ‘kissing a man without a moustache, is like eating an egg without salt’

A lovey Bonny old girl game fit a laugh, taught me lots

My grandfather used to do Littlewoods pools every Saturday, and every week he would say to me 'When I win (he never did) I will buy you a new wardrobe'. I think I was about 11 at the time and often wondered why he thought I wanted a wardrobe, and if he bought me one what I would do with it. I was too polite to tell him I would far rather have a new dress, as we didn't have much money for clothes.

I’m sad to say that I don’t have even one happy memory of my grandparents. We were forced into living with them when my mother’s marriage in Canada fell apart, and although they were adamant we moved in with them I don’t think they remembered what noisy creatures toddlers were. My sister was four and I was two. I always felt resented and can only remember my poor mother telling us to not make a noise. Fortunately we lived in beautiful countryside and most of our time was spent outside where we roamed for miles and probably became quite feral! I don’t remember being unhappy as the love we had from our mother when she wasn’t at her very demanding full time job more than made up for our distant grandparents.

I was brought up by my Nan & Grandad as my parents moved away to London and did not want to disrupt my schooling, I was at primary school at the time. I felt that I had a great life with them and was able to keep my friends I had grown up with through school and able to go out and play. I had a play room where I could invite friends in if the weather was awful. I also had the benefit of having birthday parties with a few school friends in my nans house up to 10 or so friends were allowed. (Not sure how they all fitted in my nans small lounge but managed it.) It was a very special time and I miss her so much she was my Nan but also a best friend when I was getting married and having my nails done, she was feeding me a sandwich so I did not get my nails spoilt. Just a wonderful time with Nan, Grandad and Great Aunt and Uncle. Happy Memories.

My maternal grandmother passed away when I was 2. My maternal grandfather used to carry me on his shoulders to the shop and buy me 5 boys chocolate bar. He had a dog called Paddy poodle which was nothing like a poodle but a short haired mongrol. The dog was trained to go to the shop alone with a shopping bag on his neck and fetch the paper or small items. It also used to collect the eggs from the chickens and never broke any!
My Paternal grand father passed before I was born. Paternal grandmother looked after me for several years due to mother's ill health. Not a great relationship though. Paternal grandparents were French immigrants.

My father's parents were long dead before I was born, my maternal GM died when my Mum was born. GF remarried within a year to a woman I came to think of as a witch and GF just fell into line with her. My poor Mum bent over backwards to see the good side of them but really there wasn't one. GF resented my Mum, maybe because she'd 'killed' her mother and then I grew up looking like maternal GM - so no chance of any good memories there. Phew, got that off my chest!

I only really have memories of my paternal grandmother as her husband passed away before I was born. My maternal grandparents died very close together with I was about 3, although I have a lovely slide of my Grandad spoon feeding me when I was about 1. Sitting on a tartan blanket on a picnic. My sister still has the blanket.
My paternal grandmother lived in E17, we made monthly trips to see her when we were small, and she made an amazing roast dinner every time. She died the January before I was 8, and came to stay with us the Christmas before (which must have been a big concession from mum because she hated her. Dad was very close to his mum 😉
I remember waking up and seeing her getting ready for bed!

We didn’t see much of them, none of them lived nearby, but memories of GMs are all good. Both GFs died in their 60s, paternal one was quiet but always nice - maternal GF was a real old misery - I don’t remember him once taking any interest or even speaking to me.

OTOH my GGF (DF’s GF) who lived into his 90s, was a truly lovely old man - very fond memories there.

I used to feel sorry for my paternal GM since I was aware very early on that my mother didn’t like her. But she was always kind to us.
One memory that really stands out, is when at maybe 8, I picked some little flowers out of the garden, put them into an empty fish paste jar ‘vase’, wrapped the jar in a folded paper napkin, and wrote GRANNYin big pencil letters on the front.

She took it home, and I was amazed many years later that she’d still got that jar, with the napkin wrapping, on a mantelpiece! It must have meant more to her than I’d ever imagined.

Sitting in a rocking chair by a cast iron range/open fire and trying to poke it or alternatively sitting in the front room window eating endless and very messy unshelled monkey nuts!

My nanna used to have a tin on the fireplace where she kept her sweets and she used to give me one she died when I was 10 but my aunt sort of took over and got loads of memories with her. My mother mum i wouldn’t waste my words typing she spent all her life saying if it wasn’t for you didn’t even go to her funeral

Paternal grandma was an invalid & lived with us till I was in my teens. I am sorry I didn’t chat to her more about family history. Maternal grandmother used to take me to Chapel which I was terrified of. He’ll fire & damnation creed. Grandad wasn’t allowed to show me his trombone or harmonica because. It made a noise. I used to sit in bed with him eating toast. My cousin & I used to spend ages combing his thick whit hair. He was my favorite grandparent.

I have lots of memories of my grandparents.
I can recall baking cakes with my maternal Nan! I'd spend every Saturday at the house and we'd make 'fairy cake's' together, I had the extremely important job of licking the mixing bowl clean .
We'd go into town together and she'd buy me a Ladybird book - on my next visit I'd have to tell her all about the story and then I'd get another. She was a voracious reader and I'm fairly sure it was that encouragement that sparked my love of reading.
My grandad was very poorly but a warm, hugely affectionate, funny man. I can remember slow walks holding his hand and lying next to him, reading him stories!
I was also lucky on my paternal side, with both grandparents being very affectionate with me..I can remember my Dad telling me how strict and cold his Father was and yet to me, I can remember lots of hugs and him playing with me. He'd also collect sixpences in a little jar and when it was full, we'd go to Blacklers...a store in my home town and I could choose a toy.

I only had one grandparent growing up. She was a very serious woman and she used to look after me often (we ran a B&B and my mother was always busy). I can remember two incidents that stuck in my mind. Firstly she took me to the Library for the first time and I got the book "Peter and the Wolf" out. We sat in the park and read it and then I cried because I had to wait a week before taking it back! The other one was when she had taken me out one day and she met someone and stopped for a chat. I was bored so I wandered off to the beach and it was hours later that they found me! I must have given her nightmares.

Paternal Grandparents smoked heavily and I recall that stench.
Maternal grandparents were an absolute joy. We baked, we cooked. we walked miles for a picnic in the corner of a field with homemade lemonade or ginger beer and sandwiches. We made dens under the table and called in often for a treat. Nanny could always find a wrapped but very sticky sweet in her bag. There was a feeling of love all around them. Even now miss them. Sad they were not around for my own children but they left a legacy in that my dear old Mum was every bit as loving with mine. I miss her too.

Never knew my grandfathers. They both died relatively young. Paternal grandmother disliked my mother and so disliked her children. Maternal grandmother used to visit two/three times a year from the North, always bringing chocolates. When I was 18 I started visiting her by train for the day and I always took my DC. some of their earliest memories are the train journeys, picnics and games we played. She died when they were grown up so they have strong memories of her. My DM died last year so I am pleased that my GC will always remember her and spoke at her funeral. I have spent a lot of time with my GC and hope they will remember me for what I have taught them about our religion and for all the fun things we have done together.

I longed for grandparents, but unfortunately they had died long before I was born. My parents were both brought up in children’s homes, but my mum had siblings with her.
I was always so envious of my friend who had both maternal and paternal grandparents.

I only have lovely memories of my maternal grandparents.They lived very near to us so we visited very often.Grandma was always cooking and baking, se had a horror of what she called ''bought cake'', in he mind people who could not cook were useless!Every Sunday afternoon she would sit n her immaculate front room ,she called it ''the room'', as it was only used on Sundays and Christmas with a cup of tea by the window and watch the neighbours going on their Sunday walks.She and my grandfather would take us to visit their relatives of whom they had many.She died when I was 29 and I still miss her very much.
My grandfather was a lovely man, he would spend lots of time with us playing games after dinner on a Sunday, I remember him teaching me to play cards when I was quite young.Every Christmas he would get given a box of cigars which wee his great indulgence and would spend all Christmas Day smoking them.To this day the smell of cigar smoke takes me back to happy childhood Christmases.I would give anything to see him walk into a room again.He based away suddenly in his sleep at the end of the one hot summer of 1976 when I was 32.
I hardly saw my paternal grandmother because of distance, she lived about 200 miles away but I have fond memories of her when whenever she saw us. She was a character whose voice filled the room, she could talk the hind leg off a donkey.She was a chain smoker and died of pneumonia when I was 17.I have a memory of sitting on a chair in our house holding my newborn sister in one arm, her other hand held a lit cigarette which she kept puffing way on, my sister is now in her mid sixties and in good health.
I hardly knew my paternal grandfather as my grandmother left him when I was toddler.He did not contact any of his family afterwards.
I am now a grandmother and great grandmother and hope my grandchildren and great grandchildren have happy memories of me when I am gone.

I knew both sets of grandparents & they were both local.My memories aren't as much one-to-one as they are of socialising - at my paternal grandparents (smaller family) there were always friends & neighbours on saturday & they used to sing Irish songs & folk songs & knees-up Mother Brown which me & my Gran used to jig about to.They also used their garden a lot & I used to love all sitting round outside as it grew dark, with owls hooting.My other grandparents had 11 children & eventually 26 grandchildren, I was in the "main wave" of grandchildren so we used to all play outside, football & tag & exploring & climbing, & someone was always getting hurt or being told-off but it was great fun. Gran gave a each child Rowntree's fruit pastilles when we left, & each daughter a homegrown cabbage or sprouts or broccolli & the smell of cabbage always reminds me of driving home with the car smelling of cabbage.

I spent every Sunday with my maternal grandparents for many years. I loved it. I would arrive mid morning and read my Enid Blyton books for most of the day, have a lovely roast dinner cooked for me and my grandad always brought me a ginger ale back from the pub! We played board games sometimes in the afternoon and then they would walk me home after a sandwich tea. Every week was the same it was special time together. When I stopped going my younger sister went lasted two Sundays and said it was boring!! I have never forgotten those peaceful special Sundays. I now have two small grandchildren who live nearby who love spending time with us. It isn’t every Sunday but random times and memories are being made

I only knew my paternal Granny, she lived in a cottage by the sea on the south coast about ten miles away, I learnt to swim there. She used to take us cockling on the beach, arranged for us to go sea fishing with her neighbour, eels, flounders and mackerel. The smell of cockles and vinegar, fried eel and soused mackerel, she took us to the woods, anemones and primroses. Her hair was always up, I remember my amazement late one night when we stayed with here, she took her hair down it was right down her back.
She was kind and as the eldest of three children treated me as a grown up.

It was only when I got my first greenhouse, in my fifties, planted tomatoes and one day walked in to the most amazing smell, that I was mentally transported to my granddad's greenhouse when I was a toddler. I could close my eyes and visualise my grandad sitting in his rocking chair, next to a raeburn solid fuel stove. I could see his wooden water barrels, brick paths and large raised beds with lots of tomato plants. I know I used to water his plants and then curl up on his knee.

My other grandad lived next door. He used to go to work (his own business) early in the morning. He'd come home at about 10am for a cooked breakfast. If I knocked on his window (about 3 years old) he would open it, lift me in, and share his breakfast with me.

my maternal grandparents I don't remember

,my paternal grandparents I used to visit. Granddad had a big wooden rocking chair and smoked a pipe. grandma was little with a wrap round pinny on. she always got out a tin of little cakes.. sadly after my parents separated I didn't pop round to see them anymore, I wish I had.