- Joined
- Jun 4, 2007
- Messages
- 3,692
I think this has to be a separate thread. They deserve it. I don't have any now. But I'd like to share my thoughts of my last Grandparents.
My Grandma died 5 years ago, 3 days before she was 100 years old. She always said she wanted to live to be a hundred. She was a true-blue Royalist. Monarchist. I mean, she loved the Queen and Royal Family. In Britain if you live to be 100 you get a telegram from the Queen. She died 3 days off. Bless her. Unbelieveable.
Her husband, my Grandad, died 6 years ago when he was 98. My Grandma carried on for a time without him. But I think, you know, when he'd gone, she had nothing left. I mean, think about it. You live to be nearly 100. All your friends have gone. All the old musicians and actors and comedians when you were young, all gone. The images you see on the news are of a world unlike when they were born. E.G. When the First World War broke out my Grandparents were 10 years old! When the Titanic sank in 1912 they were 8 years old. Fast forward to TV, telephones, cars, aeroplanes, space travel, computers, internet...mobile phones...My Grandparents were retired (over 60 years old) before they saw a black person in real life walking along the street. Imagine that? They didn't touch/eat a banana until they were in their 40s.
Throughout the years, they saw their friends all die, one by one. But they kept each other young.
What was really cool was as I say, my Grandma was a real Monarchist, adored the Queen. My Grandad, however, left school aged 14, worked on the railways all his life as an engine driver. Hated the Royal Family LOL
On Christmas Day, we have "The Queen's Speech" a message to the Commonwealth at 3pm on BBC1. My Grandma would always sit up straight, attentive on her seat, respectfully listening to Her Maj. My Grandad would slouch back and say "Ohh dear oh dear here we go...surplus to requirements...they should do to them what they did to the Russian Royal Family" LOL LOL My Grandma would tut and say "JOHN!" lol!!!
Right up until they were in their early to mid 90s they lived alone away from the family. I would go over each Thursday and take them to the shops, bank, and they would always have their Thursday lunchtime treat: Fish and chips. I can't look at fish and chips without thinking of them.
When they died, I wasn't sad. They'd had a great life. I remembered fish and chips and playing games whenever I went to stay with them when I was young. And that would be sad. But I was pleased they were re-united.
My Grandad had so many stories from the railway. For example, in 1947 he described being on night shift driving the locomotive, when they were stopped by snow so deep they spent all night digging the train out. You could tell when he recounted the story he loved it. Must have been cool.
My Grandma died 5 years ago, 3 days before she was 100 years old. She always said she wanted to live to be a hundred. She was a true-blue Royalist. Monarchist. I mean, she loved the Queen and Royal Family. In Britain if you live to be 100 you get a telegram from the Queen. She died 3 days off. Bless her. Unbelieveable.
Her husband, my Grandad, died 6 years ago when he was 98. My Grandma carried on for a time without him. But I think, you know, when he'd gone, she had nothing left. I mean, think about it. You live to be nearly 100. All your friends have gone. All the old musicians and actors and comedians when you were young, all gone. The images you see on the news are of a world unlike when they were born. E.G. When the First World War broke out my Grandparents were 10 years old! When the Titanic sank in 1912 they were 8 years old. Fast forward to TV, telephones, cars, aeroplanes, space travel, computers, internet...mobile phones...My Grandparents were retired (over 60 years old) before they saw a black person in real life walking along the street. Imagine that? They didn't touch/eat a banana until they were in their 40s.
Throughout the years, they saw their friends all die, one by one. But they kept each other young.
What was really cool was as I say, my Grandma was a real Monarchist, adored the Queen. My Grandad, however, left school aged 14, worked on the railways all his life as an engine driver. Hated the Royal Family LOL
On Christmas Day, we have "The Queen's Speech" a message to the Commonwealth at 3pm on BBC1. My Grandma would always sit up straight, attentive on her seat, respectfully listening to Her Maj. My Grandad would slouch back and say "Ohh dear oh dear here we go...surplus to requirements...they should do to them what they did to the Russian Royal Family" LOL LOL My Grandma would tut and say "JOHN!" lol!!!
Right up until they were in their early to mid 90s they lived alone away from the family. I would go over each Thursday and take them to the shops, bank, and they would always have their Thursday lunchtime treat: Fish and chips. I can't look at fish and chips without thinking of them.
When they died, I wasn't sad. They'd had a great life. I remembered fish and chips and playing games whenever I went to stay with them when I was young. And that would be sad. But I was pleased they were re-united.
My Grandad had so many stories from the railway. For example, in 1947 he described being on night shift driving the locomotive, when they were stopped by snow so deep they spent all night digging the train out. You could tell when he recounted the story he loved it. Must have been cool.
