I like to spread my randomness around, but this week’s random is entirely dedicated to my granny, Eva, and the things I learned about her rather diverse life at her funeral last week:
1. After leaving school, she headed off into the big bad world of the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast to become a nurse, which was probably quite the culture shock for the country girl from Strabane, even if she did have her big sister there! Anyway, she was still able to diagnose any ailment 70 years down the line ;o)
2. She didn’t have to worry about hanging around changing bed pans for too long though, because my grandad came along and rescued her, and swept her off her feet to the Isle Of Mann, where he was posted as a post office engineer. At the start of WW2, he was moved to Liverpool, where granny became the first female post office engineer (it was a logical career progression don’t you know) although getting pregnant with my Uncle shortly after rather put paid to that profession too!
3. Still, nothing daunted, 3 children later, and living back in Belfast after the end of the war found her on the radio on a children’s program singing and reading stories, sometimes accompanied at the BBC studios by my 5 year old aunt, who sang along and read poems (that would be another logical career progression)
4. After my dad came along, there was time to fit in another little sideline, modelling for shops and fashions shows, although I suspect Belfast didn’t have quite the catwalks of Paris…
5. Never wanting to be bored, she was also the captain of the ladies golf club in Holywood:
6. In her later years, after grandad had retired and they had moved over to the Lake District, she took to helping out at the local senior citizens club, helping out the ‘old dears’, a number of whom were younger than she was!
In her lifetime, as well as many diverse careers, she raised 4 children, and had 7 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren. She had a wicked sense of humour, and there was always something of a challenge to find her a rude birthday card come that time of the year! She was a truly terrible driver (ask me some time about her merge onto the M6 at Lancaster at the bottom of a very long hill), collected more kitchenware than she would have needed over the course of several lifetimes, and hoarded more memorabilia than anyone I know (except perhaps me, maybe these things run in families…) She also carefully hoarded everything I ever made her, and spent her last days under the quilt I made in Sarah’s Stained QAL last year:
So long granny, we’ll miss you!
Aw, what a lovely post for a sad topic 🙂 but also 🙁
So glad you have so many lively and colourful memories of your Nan. xOOO
She sounds like a grand lady!
I love reading about people's interesting lives, the twists and turns they take. Thanks so much for sharing this.
Hi Katy,
I loved this post! What a great tribute to someone who was obviously a ball of fire in her lifetime. An example for us all – I imagine. Except maybe the driving part. I'm rather averse to mishaps in autos. Nevertheless, she sounds like a wonderful lady and lucky you to have known her for such a long time too. I'm sure the quilt you made her was a nice snuggle and pretty too. Thanks for sharing the memories of your grandmother. I think that sense of humor must run in your family!
~ginger
What a great post. She had a very interesting and varied life
She sound like an amazing person who provided you with a lifetime of good stories and wonderful memories. So pleased you gave your Stained QAL to her. Lovely quilt for a lovely sounding lady.
What a wonderful tribute to your Granny. Thank you for sharing.
Random but very lovely, sounds like she was a wonderful lady to know.
Aw Katy she sounds like she was a fun granny and your quilt must have meant so much to her.x
Aww sorry to hear your news but what a great post as a tribute to her! And no wonder she hoarded all your handmade goodies when they're as lovely as that quilt!
Granny's with diverse and interesting lives are always a treasure – got one myself! She did the "old dears" help too! Love to you all. X
What a wonderful life and legacy she leaves xxx
She sounds like a special lady. My grannie looked after old dears who were younger than her too! Lots of lovely memories. Juliex
I remember loving this quilt when I first saw it in the QAL. What a great gift for this great lady! You will always have the memories …
so very lovely 🙂
What a wonderful post to honour your beloved granny.
Am sorry to hear that you lost your Granny. This is a wonderful random post in her honour. Like you, I found out a lot about my Granny that I never knew at her funeral. Made me sad to realise how much I didn't know about her, but it was good to laugh too. She would have liked that.
So here's to your Granny and mine. If there is an after life, maybe they'll run into each other on the golf course.
A lovely post! :o)
Great tribute xxxx
I overhead a helper in the local charity shop telling another how she was 92 next week, and only drove in to the village a couple of times a week – I'm staying off the road/pavement as much as possible now!
She sounds like she would have been a lovely person to know.
What a lovely lady. Granny's are special.
I loved reading about your granny and her amazing life…is this the granny you and your mum hid from in her house when you were doing something to a quilt for her?? I lost my granny 2 years ago today and she had an amazing and interesting life too. I only hope someone might be able to come up with something interesting to say about me 🙂
She sounds like an amazing woman.
Thank you darling, you've made me cry all over again.
Dad XXX
Hugs Katy. She sounds like a brilliant Gran, very sad for you x
Lovely post Katy, a fitting tribute 🙂 Hugs x
What a wonderful woman, you are so lucky to have had her as your grannie.
Sounds like she had a full and interesting life. What a lovely post about her.
your granny sounds like an amazing woman! xxx
Your post is a lovely tribute to your granny. What an amazing and inspiring woman she must have been! It is wonderful if you can make something of your life no matter what situation you find yourself in. The memories you have will keep her close…
What an amazing active lady she was.
Sounds like a wonderful granny.so pleased you have wonderful memories of her as well as some new interesting tidbits of what sounds like a very well lived life.
I challenge myself each year to find a rude birthday card for my dad, that will make him laugh.
I loved reading these things about your granny! She sounds like such an amazing woman!!
Katy, this was a great tribute to someone who obviously meant very much to you. Sorry for your loss. Thanks for sharing her story… remarkable woman! I esp. loved #6.
What a beautiful post for what sounds like an amazing lady!!
What a lovely post for your Gran. She lived a full life and it was nice to read of some if the highlights. Sweet memories.
Katy, your post is a wonderful tribute to your gran. She sounds like a lovely person. I know she will be missed because she was loved so much and I'm sure she was as proud of you as you are of her.
Beautiful tribute to your gran, thanks for sharing, it bought a tear to my eye.
A lovely random. Hugs xxx
Wow, your granny was stunning! That is such a fabulous photo of her, and what an interesting life. I'm sure she'll be missed x
As sorry to hear this sad news. I could tell you we're close to your Granny, often visiting her and speaking of her. What a full life she lead, a great role model. Is migration between the different parts of the UK common?
Your grandma sounds awesome! Do you have any pictures of her when she was modeling? I guess it wouldn't be very possible to have recordings of her radio shows. She sounds so super cool! 🙂