Your grandparents.

[mickd1961]

I was lucky as I had four great grandparents.

I could listen to them for hours about their early and mid lives with them having been born in 1900,1901,1910 and 1911.

My grandad who was born in 1900 lied about his age so that he could go and fight.

My other grandad was born in 1910 and had to swim for his life at Dunkirk.

I was surprised at that as he couldn’t swim and he told me that it was amazing the effect that bullets whizzing past your ears had!

One of my nans left home in County Durham to move to Harrogate ( a long journey in 1925 ) at the age of 14 to work as a nurse at an orphanage.

I loved hearing their life stories and those of my parents who were born in 1935 and 38.

Sadly my kids and their generation don’t seem interested in exploring the lives of their parents and grandparents.

I lived 160 miles away from my grandparents and even in my 20’s and 30’s I’d regularly drive up north to spend time with them to the detriment of my own social life.

Today’s ****agers to 40+ year olds seem so disinterested with their elders it really shouldn’t come as any great surprise to find themselves as inconsequential to their own kids and to be facing loneliness in mid and older age.

I’d give anything to be able to spend one more day with my “oldies” god bless ‘em!

[Joy_Division]

My paternal grandparents practically raised me for the first 9 years of my life as my parents both needed to work so we all lived in the same house. When we left for our first own rented home I was so upset even though we were only going about three roads away that as a compromise I was allowed to stay at my Nan's Friday and Saturday nights. Their cellar was in fact their air raid shelter during the Second World War and when my Nan had to vacate the house as it was due to be demolished the names of the people who were sheltering in there were still on the wall with the hooks for their gas masks. There was a tin in one of the cupboards with pieces of shrapnel in that I believe came from bombs that hit the Carriage Works a few minutes walk from the house. Lots of stories of hardship, little food and using the pawn shop on a regular basis. What that generation went through including the First World War is shocking and what on earth they would make of today's youth with their sense of entitlement, and safe spaces I dread to think.

[mickd1961]

My paternal grandparents practically raised me for the first 9 years of my life as my parents both needed to work so we all lived in the same house. When we left for our first own rented home I was so upset even though we were only going about three roads away that as a compromise I was allowed to stay at my Nan's Friday and Saturday nights. Their cellar was in fact their air raid shelter during the Second World War and when my Nan had to vacate the house as it was due to be demolished the names of the people who were sheltering in there were still on the wall with the hooks for their gas masks. There was a tin in one of the cupboards with pieces of shrapnel in that I believe came from bombs that hit the Carriage Works a few minutes walk from the house. Lots of stories of hardship, little food and using the pawn shop on a regular basis. What that generation went through including the First World War is shocking and what on earth they would make of today's youth with their sense of entitlement, and safe spaces I dread to think.

Some great anecdotes there Joy.

For a large number of today’s under 40’s it’s a case of “all about me”......look at my new car,holiday or f king dinner on Facebook.

I’m glad my grandparents didn’t live long enough to see FB 😤😤

[Dubbag]

Some great anecdotes there Joy.

For a large number of today’s under 40’s it’s a case of “all about me”......look at my new car,holiday or f king dinner on Facebook.

I’m glad my grandparents didn’t live long enough to see FB 😤😤

I look after my Ma. She turned 92 about two weeks ago.
Has bad dementia and other stuff beholding someone aged 92+.
About two months ago she fell down the stairs...backwards from about the 6th stair up. She had a nasty landing at the bottom of the stairs on a concrete floor. I checked her over and got her in to the front room...cup a tea, the usual.
She was of course...even more dazed then normal. She suffered no broken bones and had a cut above her eye and leg.
I dressed it for her and she soon settled down....When I suggested she take a Panadol for the pain....she nearly had a cardiac arrest with indignation at the thought of having to take a pain killer for a small fall...

She grew up with little and expected little in return. Only ever in hospital having children...No drain on society..
Every now and then the dementia curtain lifts in her head and we have great banter for a few minutes before it descends again....But I enjoy those moments and get more information from her in those few moments then I would talking to most people below the age of 35 or thereabouts....

[Q165]

I only knew one grandparent, dad’s mom. Spent all her adult life in the licensed trade. When I was a kid she ran two outdoors. I was fascinated by those places. Locals would come in on Saturday with various jugs and bottles to buy their pints of mild or bitter. My dad always said that his mom drank beer until he walked through the door when she suddenly switched to gin. Happy days.

Dad’s dad died at Paschendale when he was an infant. Nobody could tell me much about him and I found out a lot from the Commonwealth Graves Commission.

I also traced back Dad’s line. My great grandfather was born in Tipton but they moved to Birmingham. My great great grandfather was a coal miner living in Tipton.

Mom was from Manchester. Her dad was an engine driver and did the Manchester to London route.

The only thing I know on mom’s side is that one great grandparent was Irish and the other Italian.

You are right Mick. I am absolutely intrigued about my roots and can not know enough. I don't think my kids have ever shown the slightest interest.

[mickd1961]

I only knew one grandparent, dad’s mom. Spent all her adult life in the licensed trade. When I was a kid she ran two outdoors. I was fascinated by those places. Locals would come in on Saturday with various jugs and bottles to buy their pints of mild or bitter. My dad always said that his mom drank beer until he walked through the door when she suddenly switched to gin. Happy days.

Dad’s dad died at Paschendale when he was an infant. Nobody could tell me much about him and I found out a lot from the Commonwealth Graves Commission.

I also traced back Dad’s line. My great grandfather was born in Tipton but they moved to Birmingham. My great great grandfather was a coal miner living in Tipton.

Mom was from Manchester. Her dad was an engine driver and did the Manchester to London route.

The only thing I know on mom’s side is that one great grandparent was Irish and the other Italian.

You are right Mick. I am absolutely intrigued about my roots and can not know enough. I don't think my kids have ever shown the slightest interest.

It’s very sad Q.

Every time I visit my home town of Harrogate I pay visits to both of my grandparents homes and the house I was born into.

I usually go back to New Park infants school which Prando may well remember?

I visit the playing fields where I spent most summer days from aged 10 until I left school from 10.00am until 10.00pm at night.

It’s just like being transported back to 1975 every time I visit.

I was very peed off just before Xmas though.

For the last few years I’ve checked Rightmove every day for Harrogate in the hope my one nans house would come up for sale again.

Somehow I managed to miss it come on sale and only realised when I saw the “sold” sign in the garden in December.

I so wanted to own it again to use as a holiday home in the town and for the family to enjoy and I guess that at 58 this was probably my last chance to own it.

Maybe it was for the best though.......without my Nan Nellie there it might feel wrong.

[baggieal]

It’s very sad Q.

Every time I visit my home town of Harrogate I pay visits to both of my grandparents homes and the house I was born into.

I usually go back to New Park infants school which Prando may well remember?

I visit the playing fields where I spent most summer days from aged 10 until I left school from 10.00am until 10.00pm at night.

It’s just like being transported back to 1975 every time I visit.

I was very peed off just before Xmas though.

For the last few years I’ve checked Rightmove every day for Harrogate in the hope my one nans house would come up for sale again.

Somehow I managed to miss it come on sale and only realised when I saw the “sold” sign in the garden in December.

I so wanted to own it again to use as a holiday home in the town and for the family to enjoy and I guess that at 58 this was probably my last chance to own it.

Maybe it was for the best though.......without my Nan Nellie there it might feel wrong.

Totally can relate to this Mick. Spent a load of time with my grand parents when growing up and every year up until I was 13 they took us to Tenby so we used to go fishing in the rocks at coppice hall ( think it was called that ).

They lived in Selly Oak and their house backed on to the dry river bed so
me and my grandad used to jump over their back garden fence and play football in Selly Oak Park - jumpers or coats as goal posts. My grandad died around 20 years ago but recently I paid a visit to Selly Oak Park where we both played shots in - it was like going down memory lane. Nothing had changed and could even pick out spots where we played! Driving outside their old house - nothing had changed whatsoever including the drive. I could even recall parking my mini on the road outside their house.

The message in all this - time goes by very quickly and to cherish every moment. As Mick knows - I have been ill as of late but hey your perspective on life changes - enjoy all those memories and enjoy every minute going forward. I know my grandad would be urging me on from up above - he was simply the best!

[Epsombaggie]

My mother's parents ran a newsagents in Bloomfield Road, Prince's End. My father's father was a foreman at an engineering works in Great Bridge; they built bridges and constructed the flyover on the A45 near Digbeth - can anyone remember the name of the company?

[phild]

My mother's parents ran a newsagents in Bloomfield Road, Prince's End. My father's father was a foreman at an engineering works in Great Bridge; they built bridges and constructed the flyover on the A45 near Digbeth - can anyone remember the name of the company?

Hi Epsom

I'm fairly certain the company in question was Braithwaites (Braithwaite and Co Engineers Ltd) They were a company that traded from 1927 until its demise in 1980. They manufactured mainly steel bridges. My uncle Bob (bobs ya uncle) worked there until he was made redundant. After closure I believe the premises were used as a foreign car importer. Here is a link

http://blackcountryhistory.org/colle...rd/GB146_BS-B/

[WOODLANDSWOLF]

Hi Epsom

I'm fairly certain the company in question was Braithwaites (Braithwaite and Co Engineers Ltd) They were a company that traded from 1927 until its demise in 1980. They manufactured mainly steel bridges. My uncle Bob (bobs ya uncle) worked there until he was made redundant. After closure I believe the premises were used as a foreign car importer. Here is a link

http://blackcountryhistory.org/colle...rd/GB146_BS-B/

That's the one. I used to live on Upper Church Lane [well some one had to!] There probably used to be more industry on Bloomfield road between the Barge and Barrel and the Gospel Oak than there is in the whole Black Country right now. Maybe there still is!