General Chat

Sitting here thinking of my maternal grandfather .... a lovely lovely man ... since researching tree found out when he died ... had forgotten ...(thought it was 1952ish) but was 1949 ... i was only 8 ... cannot believe i only had so few years with him cos he had such an influence on my life ... i was eldest in family and i spent every weekend and holiday with them ... have to say they were more like parents to me .... whilst researching found he was born in workhouse ... that gutted me ... but just keep thinking whatever ... his mum can be proud of him cos he pulled himself up and away from that .... so many happy memories ... he made and sold ice cream lol ... ran the local tram car up shipley glen during summer months, a local beauty spot ... read to me when going to bed ... one poem he used to recite when he was in a mischevious mood was .... LITTLE ORPHANT ANNIE by: James Whitcomb Riley (1849-1916) INSCRIBED WITH ALL FAITH AND AFFECTION To all the little children: -- The happy ones; and sad ones; The sober and the silent ones; the boisterous and glad ones; The good ones -- Yes, the good ones, too; and all the lovely bad ones. ITTLE Orphant Annie's come to our house to stay, An' wash the cups an' saucers up, an' brush the crumbs away, An' shoo the chickens off the porch, an' dust the hearth, an' sweep, An' make the fire, an' bake the bread, an' earn her board-an'-keep; An' all us other childern, when the supper-things is done, We set around the kitchen fire an' has the mostest fun A-list'nin' to the witch-tales 'at Annie tells about, An' the Gobble-uns 'at gits you Ef you Don't Watch Out! Wunst they wuz a little boy wouldn't say his prayers,-- An' when he went to bed at night, away up-stairs, His Mammy heerd him holler, an' his Daddy heerd him bawl, An' when they turn't the kivvers down, he wuzn't there at all! An' they seeked him in the rafter-room, an' cubby-hole, an' press, An' seeked him up the chimbly-flue, an' ever'-wheres, I guess; But all they ever found wuz thist his pants an' roundabout:-- An' the Gobble-uns 'll git you Ef you Don't Watch Out! An' one time a little girl 'ud allus laugh an' grin, An' make fun of ever' one, an' all her blood-an'-kin; An' wunst, when they was 'company,' an' ole folks wuz there, She mocked 'em an' shocked 'em, an' said she didn't care! An' thist as she kicked her heels, an' turn't to run an' hide, They wuz two great big Black Things a-standin' by her side, An' they snatched her through the ceilin' 'fore she knowed what she's about! An' the Gobble-uns 'll git you Ef you Don't Watch Out! An' little Orphant Annie says, when the blaze is blue, An' the lamp-wick sputters, an' the wind goes woo-oo! An' you hear the crickets quit, an' the moon is gray, An' the lightnin'-bugs in dew is all squenched away,-- You better mind yer parunts, an' yer teachurs fond an' dear, An' churish them 'at loves you, an' dry the orphant's tear, An' he'p the pore an' needy ones 'at clusters all about, Er the Gobble-uns 'll git you Ef you Don't Watch Out! 'Little Orphant Annie' is reprinted from Complete Works. James Whitcomb Riley. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill, 1916. and he would ephasise in a deep voice And the goblins will get u if u don't watch out lol bless you grandad luvs you xxxxx

A loving dedication to all our grandads GRANDAD Clive Dunn I've been sitting here all day thinking Same old thing ten years away thinking Now my days are gone, memories linger on Thoughts of when I was boy Pennyfarthings on the street riding Motorcars were funny things, frightning Bow and hoops and spinning tops Annie gretzel's lollipops Comic cuts, all different things Grandad, grandad you're lovely That's what we all think of you Grandad, grandad you're lovely That's what we all think of you Grandad grandad Areoplanes tied up with string flying Telephones and talking things sighing A radio and phonograph, Charlie Chaplin made us laugh Silently falling about Familiar things I keep around, near me Memories of my younger days, clearly Now it's in my mind? Everyday I find, thoughts of when I was boy Grandad, grandad you're lovely That's what we all think of you Grandad, grandad you're lovely That's what we all think of you Grandad, grandad Grandad, grandad Grandad, grandad

Never met mine (Mum's dad) - he disappeared off the face of the earth before I came along - never been told how and I can't even find him among my ancestors!! Stella

My maternal grandfather is still very much with us, he lost his wife my grandmother last year, thought he would fall apart, how wrong could we be. He's always out visiting, or gardening or enjoying his newly discovered past time shopping..... when he arrives at ours with another toycar for my son or a bag of buns or something for his house we just smile because we are grateful for every day he is with us.....we miss our gran so very much xx

Sadly i never knew any of my grandparents...xxx

What lovely memories some of us lucky ones have.

I was brought up by my Grandparents. My grandad gave me my first bike with stabalizers on it and spent hours with me whilst I learnt to ride it. It was Grandad who was the first person to see me ride for the very first time after he took the stabalizers off. Grandad made me Apple sandwiches or Banana sandwhiches to eat outside in the little 'tent' he would make for me with the clothes airer and a blanket. Grandad showed me how to sow seeds in the garden, and bought me my first pack of Marigold seeds and stood over me whilst I sowed them. He took me by the hand one day and led me into the garden ... and pointed out the beautiful orange flowers that I created a few weeks before. Grandad showed me how to cook ( he was a Chef in the Army ) and I was 6 years old when I made my first real fruit salad which we ate for Sunday dinner. A lesson that I have passed onto all the children in my care ... It was Grandad who came to my bedroom to remove the spiders off my bed. It was my Grandad and Grandma who were and still are, my Guardian Angels. I loved my Grandad so much, that I washed his car one day as a surprise. I didn't know you weren't supposed to squeeze washing up liquid directly onto the car. He thanked me for trying to help and never once showed me how grief stricken he was over the car .... only NOW do I realise what terrible damage I did. He taught me to live and let live. To treat others as you would want to be treated. He taught me that Patience is a virtue and that you reep what you sow. He ALWAYS shared his Nuttalls Mintoes !

I loved my Grandad so much. ( paternal) He was a big tall man and sang like an Angel. Told me stories of his youth (true? don't know. I just loved them) Kept ' PANDROPS' in his big Grandmother clock, and I was allowed to take one when I wanted..... I was the only one who knew where they were kept! And was sworn to secrecy. (another 'myth'? possibly, but it made me feel important.) Deanna X

Mine I,m afraid, is not a nice one. Lying in the front room (aspidestra and all) laid out in his coffin, by that funny greeny yellow gas light. The first dead person I had seen and it certainly left an impression on me. Happy days

Awww what a lovely thread. I am extraordinarily lucky because I had both my grandads until I was 25! Paternal Grandad was always teasing me and my cousin to tears! He called us 'me duck' He always sat in the same high backed studded leather chair and only my dad sat in it after he died and he never looked right in it. We used to eat crumpets for saturday tea and he would tell us all to be quiet while he did the Pools. He used to eat butter scotch and let us have one from the jar on the shelf. He used to buy me a pint from the club, but would never let me drink beer from the bottle He took me to bingo at the Home Guard Club! Maternal Grandad was a big old softie who never raised his voice or got riled about anything. He was a little 'round' and used to wobble his belly and say 'all bought and paid for, that! He used to always have some treasure in his pockets like conkers, string, an old coin, a whistle ect. He used to turn wood in his shed and made me minature dolls furniture. He had a caravan and we used to go fishing. He had a silver ring that he said he made from shrapnel in the war (he was a mechanic) Ahhhh. Lovely memories. Claire xx

My grandad Proctor i never new, he died in WW1. Grandad Shenton died when i was 12, but i do remember him very well. He used to take me to pick up his wages on a Friday, he would buy me a comic, and the men he worked with gave me pennies. He was a big man and worked at the local steel works, called Shelton Bar.He smoked like a chimney and swore like a trooper(not bad languge you understand)but was one of the gentalist kindest men(apart from my dad) i ever new. Gill

My lovely grandfather died two months before my daughter was born. He was a farmer, very gentle, big hands and feet ( I inherited the big feet gene!), a real gentleman, a person to admire. Sad that the old characters are disappearing. Louise

Mine was severly disabled after the war. He was trapped in a lorry that turned over if it hadn't been for our enemies the turks grandad would of died like the others did, but they saved him & worked with the british to bring him home. Have a pic of him covered head to foot in bandages with only slits for his eyes, nose & mouth....a very lucky chap! Spent alot of time with him when growing up, wouldn't give up the fags as said he was too old, wouldn't give up the swearing said it was his Yorkshire side coming out but best of all he wouldn't give up calling me his princess even when other grandaughters came along.... I miss him so much esp now as have one of my own, even though I know he would of given me a right b********* for not being married!!!

Never met Paternal grandfather,he died when my Dad was a child. Saw my first photo of him last year !!! My maternal grandfather I remember well, I used to watch him cobble shoes, kill a pig for the table and draw the water from the well. I loved him dearly, we all did,but I was scared the first time I stayed at his house , went into his bedroom in the morning and saw a leg under the bed.I hadn't as a child realised that he had a false leg.!!!!! He lived to be 83 and my Ma ,his daughter 92. LOL

That's lovely Bev Allie x

i lost my paternal grand father just a few weeks ago this was the eulogy i wrote and read at his funeral How do I talk about granddad And the place that he holds in my heart I have plenty of memories of granddad But where on earth do I start? I remember the times spent on Sundays When we would all go there for tea I remember we always had salad And jelly for afters with cream. I remember the games we would play there The fuzzy felts and old 45s I remember the polished wooden flooring That in our socks us kids would all slide I remember the cellar down under The placed where the diddy men were I remember the front crazy paving That to us kids was always a lure. I spent many a time with my granddad At work in the shop that he ran I wished I had taken the chance then To get to know more about this man But as a child my granddad was someone Who was there when we went to stay Whose desk was a great fascination And whose hair was always grey The memories I have of my granddad Are of a man who was quiet and kind Not one for big show but somehow I know we were never far from his mind. Bev

What lovely memories! My maternal Grandad was a really good cartoonist and did us funny drawings - in another life he would have been an artist. I have several postcards of him pictured in a 'charabanc' on the Isle of Wight which he loved to visit for his hols as a young man in the 1920's. He would have been so chuffed that his granddaughter (me!) lives there now! Allie x

I never knew my Dad's Dad. He died in Canada when I was 2. My Mum's dad was wonderful. I called him Pop-Pop. Dad, being Canadian, called him Pop, so I suppose that's where I got it from. We lived with him & my Nan until I was 2½, but then spent most of the school holidays staying there. He had an allotment about a mile from his house and he often used to take me there. I can hear him now saying, as he gave me a carrot to eat that he'd just pulled from the ground, 'Don't tell your Nan or your Mum that I didn't wash it first!' He was ill with heart problems, but wouldn't go into hospital until after my wedding because he was determined to be there. He died in 1969 and I still miss him so much. He was always there for me, and I was closer to him than I was to my Dad. I remember he smoked Senior Service - untipped. When I was in hospital having my 2nd child, (and very anxious) it would have been his 76th birthday. I am sure he came and sat in the chair next to my bed and told me everything would be OK and that my daughter would be born the following day, and would be ginger just like him - and she was! Sue xx

My grandad Charlie Horton (my dads dad) I have memories of him sitting on a dining chair (preferred those) and he always brought me a wallnut whip. I used to pull the nut off and lick the cream out of the middle. I still eat them in the same way now. He died when I was around 8. My other grandad, Charlie Greaves (mums dad) used to do faith healing as a young man. I can still see him sitting in his chair by the telly, puffing on his golden virginia roll up... shaking his fidts at the saturday wrestling on the telly, getting so involved. He died in 1993. he would have been 100 this october had he lived Elaine x

Only ever knew one - saw him once a year when we went to stay. An elderly gentleman, with a tash which tickled when he kissed me. A former fisherman, who wore navy blue serge trousers, reefer jacket and a guernsey. Took me out in a rowing boat and we pulled up crab pots. Always had his pipe, baccy tin and Virginia twist - the sticks had to be cut exactly in half to fit in the tin. He was very fit and could walk for miles - lived to be 96 (don't think I'll take after him! ) Very fond memories of a lovely old guy - I was the 'surprise' grandchild he never expected to have and he loved me dearly. Jay