Here are some memories that has just sprung to mind of my Granny Rebecca Burgess.
My maternal grand parents came from Manchester, the poorer part. They moved down to Buckinghamshire, with Grandads job on the railway, in the early 1900's, to a 2 up 2 down terraced house which was part of a solitary row of four.
My Granny had 10 children who survived to live a long life, and one is still alive although frail, and 98yrs old.
She also had many failed pregnancies due to the fact she must have been worn out, and her husband was not very helpful.
Myself as a very young child would travel with my Mum to visit her and her daughter Dorothy, who never married and lived with Gran.
On one occasion, I think I was about 4 yrs old, she was doing her washing with her boiler, mangle and tin baths all in the kitchen, which had 2 wooden steps down to it from the back(dining)room. I would sit on the bottom step and use the top step as a table for my jam butty and glass of milk, and would watch her and Aunty 'Doll' work away.
They also had a large long haired black and white cat which I duly picked up and dropped into the tin bath containing the soapy water. All hell broke out, the cat screamed, my Aunt and Gran screamed, my Mum screamed and I think I pee'd my pants, ran up the steps and hid under the gateleg dining table. I could see Gran waiving her 'copper stick' at me and calling me all the bu**ers under the sun. There I remained for what seemed hours(it was actually a few minutes), until it was time to go home.
As I crept out I saw the biggest smile on my Grans face and she quickly broke into the most joyous laugh I think I have ever heard. She gave me a big hug and kiss. What a relief.
My Gran had the longest and most silver hair and was beautiful. My sister said it went way past her bum. She always wore it in plaits and buns, and I rarely saw it down but was always perfectly presented, as was she.
There is a photo of my Granny and Aunt Dolly in a crowd, taken by the local newspaper for a feature on the open market in the town centre, and it shows her bargaining with one of the fruit and veg traders.
She would always go to the market at the last minute as they packed up for the day. She would get most of fruit and veg for almost nothing, and would buy the odds and sodds that no one else would buy.
Fruit she bought in abundance, and what could not be eaten she made jams and marmalade and gave most of it away.
I could go on for hours, but my favourite memory is this.
My Granny and Aunty Doll would come over to our house every other Sunday for dinner and stay until about 6-30pm, when they would leave to catch the bus home. I would walk them down to the bus stop at the market house.
The market house stood on oak and brick piers, on stilts so to speak, and we would wait underneath for the bus to come.
On one occasion, Gran wanted a pee but there were no toilets close by. She told me to keep 'lookout' and promptly pulled down her knickers and hitched up her skirts, leaned against the brickwork and done a wee.
Not bad for a 93 yr old.
I have never stopped laughing about her, and her 'antics'.
A wonderful Granny.
Steve.
My maternal grand parents came from Manchester, the poorer part. They moved down to Buckinghamshire, with Grandads job on the railway, in the early 1900's, to a 2 up 2 down terraced house which was part of a solitary row of four.
My Granny had 10 children who survived to live a long life, and one is still alive although frail, and 98yrs old.
She also had many failed pregnancies due to the fact she must have been worn out, and her husband was not very helpful.
Myself as a very young child would travel with my Mum to visit her and her daughter Dorothy, who never married and lived with Gran.
On one occasion, I think I was about 4 yrs old, she was doing her washing with her boiler, mangle and tin baths all in the kitchen, which had 2 wooden steps down to it from the back(dining)room. I would sit on the bottom step and use the top step as a table for my jam butty and glass of milk, and would watch her and Aunty 'Doll' work away.
They also had a large long haired black and white cat which I duly picked up and dropped into the tin bath containing the soapy water. All hell broke out, the cat screamed, my Aunt and Gran screamed, my Mum screamed and I think I pee'd my pants, ran up the steps and hid under the gateleg dining table. I could see Gran waiving her 'copper stick' at me and calling me all the bu**ers under the sun. There I remained for what seemed hours(it was actually a few minutes), until it was time to go home.
As I crept out I saw the biggest smile on my Grans face and she quickly broke into the most joyous laugh I think I have ever heard. She gave me a big hug and kiss. What a relief.
My Gran had the longest and most silver hair and was beautiful. My sister said it went way past her bum. She always wore it in plaits and buns, and I rarely saw it down but was always perfectly presented, as was she.
There is a photo of my Granny and Aunt Dolly in a crowd, taken by the local newspaper for a feature on the open market in the town centre, and it shows her bargaining with one of the fruit and veg traders.
She would always go to the market at the last minute as they packed up for the day. She would get most of fruit and veg for almost nothing, and would buy the odds and sodds that no one else would buy.
Fruit she bought in abundance, and what could not be eaten she made jams and marmalade and gave most of it away.
I could go on for hours, but my favourite memory is this.
My Granny and Aunty Doll would come over to our house every other Sunday for dinner and stay until about 6-30pm, when they would leave to catch the bus home. I would walk them down to the bus stop at the market house.
The market house stood on oak and brick piers, on stilts so to speak, and we would wait underneath for the bus to come.
On one occasion, Gran wanted a pee but there were no toilets close by. She told me to keep 'lookout' and promptly pulled down her knickers and hitched up her skirts, leaned against the brickwork and done a wee.
Not bad for a 93 yr old.
I have never stopped laughing about her, and her 'antics'.
A wonderful Granny.
Steve.
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