1920-2011

I think I've said before I am reluctant to use this here blog to go too much into my personal life. After all, it's not that interesting. But certain events in the past month have been occupying my mind too much for me to write much else.

It being this: just over two weeks ago, my grandmother died, a couple of weeks short of her 90th birthday. I'm not going to write about that so much, more the feeling that with all my grandparents no amongst the living, it feels as if though a part of my life is over, namely being young.

I was lucky enough to get through all my childhood years knowing three of my grandparents and my mother's folks especially were a big part of that. With my dad working shifts, my little brother and I would often stop at nan and granddad's on a Saturday while our mother went shopping. I have memories of munching on Penguin biscuits constantly and watching westerns and Laurel and Hardy films. Granddad liked football and I can clearly remember watching games from the 1990 FA Cup, back in the days where football on TV was limited to one game a week absolute tops.

Thinking back in the days following her death, nan always seemed to be in the kitchen back in those days. Perhaps it was habit after having seven kids in a time where women having any kind of career was a rarity. She always had a great sense of humour and would a wonderful laugh - something that as I've just written I think I'll most of all - especially after my brother or I had made a cheeky comment to our mother.

In her final months, she was very sick, so much so that seeing her over Christmas was the hardest thing I've ever had to deal with. She was riddled with various illnesses and needed constant care. Thankfully, the Macmillan nurses provided a lot of help in the final weeks to enable my mother and her siblings to be nan's children to whatever degree possible.

When the end came, I think we were all relieved she was free of all the pain. She's back with her man now, after nine years apart following 56 years of marriage and though I'm not a believer in anything after death, in my more wistful moments I imagine them nagging at each other again, as they always did, but always with a strong sense that they couldn't really do without the other.