I think a fair amount of us knew our Grannies. I had the misfortune to have my Granny Peggy die when I was 6 weeks old.This left my Grandpa(known as GRANDFATHER JIMMY.) a widower with three young children Alex,Gordon&Jennifer. My Mother, a star of a woman& a born carer took over the household & Mothering role which she had been since she was 10 years old.My Father-an only child(well apart from the two half-siblings which were reared by my Grannys Mother- a formidable wee woman) moved into the household with myself & my big sis Margeret.Thats 3 Adults & 5 children in a two bedroomed house(luckily my Dad & Grandpa worked constant nightshift at Babcocks&Wilcox) So I grew up close to my Aunt &Uncles but off course we were allocated a house in "the Faifley" so my Grandpa was left to his own devicies except for my Mum"visiting" most days (for that read cleaning,washing,ironing,cooking etc)
Well by 1960 there were three of us when my little sister Elizabeth joined the happy band.
My "other" Granny was a merry widow- my Grandpa died during WW2 mainly from his war wounds from WW1. I remember tucking in to her bed in the wall in Burns St. She was a school cleaner(interesting choice of occupation as my Dad was left to do much of the housework like his Father before him "I never walked the floor with oor Ian-Jock did that & scrubbed the floors".He then walked to Erskine Hospital where he was employed as a Boot Repairer.OOh & by the way he lost a leg in 1916 & had a metal plate in his skull & sporadic attacks of Malaria(legacy of his Boer War exploits).Granny enjoyed poor health as often as she could- she had lifelong Migraine- thanks Gran.She would take to her bed on the slighest pretext but this was probably her way of exerting power over a life which had given her not too many breaks.I loved her dearly & it is due to her that I know so much about my Family.
She started calling at Laurel Ave- where my Grandpa lived & the rest is history. Their Marriage which made my Parents Step-Brother& Sister
made the Papers. Dr.Fleming our Family Doctor told my Mum"Theyve made the Sunday Mail but theyll make the Readers Digest if they have any children" Granny was 60+ by then.
So my childhood was staying with Granny & Grandpa as often as possible- being spoiled & staying up late to watch unsuitable things on the telly.Missing school because of my Migraines which usually cleared up when Grandpa was safely in bed after his nightshift & we would go for a restorative stroll to the shops in Clydebank or Partick after a cooked breakfast off course- you had to line your stomach after all that vomiting.
Grandpa died in the 70s & Granny eventually moved house. She was living there when aged 90 she was mown down by a reckless/dangerous driver. I remember seeing her face on the screen as the Coroner asked me to identify her body(I went with my Uncle her eldest stepson & my Dads best friend.I was a Nurse used to seeing dead bodies & my wee brothers were to young) & thinking how like Daddy she was & how sad that all three of her children had predeceased her. The Doctor said her internal organs were like those of a 21 year old.
She was a character- she was coming from the shops prior to attending a Halloween Party when she was killed on a Zebra crosssing. She knew everybody & all of their & their Families History.
Granny told me her Granny was born in Old Kilpatrick as was her parents & so on for four generations. Not according to the Records .
She told me that my Grandpas only two Brothers were killed WW1.Funnily enough the one that I have been searching for years on the CWGC site reported his Mothers death in 1922!!!!.
So in Grannys immortal words "dont believe everything people tell us" even if that person is your sure witted,gossip loving beloved wee Granny.
So to all Grannys everywhere but especially that beloved breed the Scottish ones "Heres to you everyone"
Here are some of the other things she used to say"put that burnt finger up to the fire -it will bring everything to the same temp & it wont hurt"!!!!!
"A man running for his life wouldnt notice it"(you knew the it was glaringly obvious to all but the most short-sighted.
To Rossanna a Granny in a million warts & all