Nana, Tweed and Soap Powder

It would be my Nana's birthday on April 16th, and I have been thinking a lot about her lately, well more so than usual, as her birthday approaches. My Nana was a strong woman, she loved her family, especially her grandchildren and I spent a lot of time at my Nana & Granddad's house, especially in the school holidays, as both my parents worked. I loved staying there. Nana was a great cook, she had a well-stocked 'pantry' (that's what it was referred to, more correctly it was a collection of sturdy, fablon covered shelves, which I think my granddad installed, at the top of the cellar steps - it did however, due to the coldness of the cellar, keep all manner of goodies nice and fresh) she liked to feed the family and loved food herself.

Some of my earliest memories are of happy Sundays, Christmas and other special family gatherings at their house. My parents, my aunts, uncles and cousins would all descend and spend time together, eating, drinking (Granddad would set up a bar in the corner of the living room to serve the adults at Christmas - if we were good, my cousin's and I would be allowed a 'snowball' or two) playing games, sometimes we would play cards (I was a good Rummy player by the age of 5 and often left their house with pockets full of 'coppers' [Pennies to the younger generation] having won a few games). At Christmas though the adults would think up some quite imaginative, quirky games for us kids (the adults often joined in too) to play and the winner would receive a little prize. It was the taking part back then, that mattered more than the prize, and seeing the grown ups acting like big kids always made me laugh.

Tea was eaten around a table that seemed to fill the entire living room, and when we we're all there the obligatory 'emergency chairs' would have to be used as there was a lot of us back then. Nana would feed us all. There would be tinned salmon, thick slices of ham (from Birds) salad (some of which was grown in the garden - Granddad was a keen gardener) a bowl of onion and cucumber in vinegar (I am not quite sure why this was served separately, although I don't think Nana ate it, as I remember her saying "it repeats on me" at nearly every Sunday tea) delicious, home-pickled, crunchy onions, fresh sliced 'bloomer' bread (again from Birds - Nana loved that shop) buttered with Lurpak and various other goodies all served on 'the good plates'. And after tea there was often trifle (Nana made a lovely trifle) with lashing of carnation evaporated milk ("Do you want some Evap on that our Karen?) or tinned fruit (Pear halves were my favourite) with sterilised cream, and we were all encouraged to eat any bread and butter 'left over' from tea with our trifle or tinned fruit. I know (from conversations I have had in adulthood) that a lot of people find this a weird combination, but trust me, until you have dunked some fresh bread and butter into a homemade trifle with 'evap' or the juice of tinned fruit mixed with sterilised cream, don't knock it.

I don't recall watching TV very much at Nana's - we didn't need to be entertained, we chatted, laughed, played games and amused ourselves and each other. I do, however, recall the red and grey record player being bought out on many occasions and we'd sing along to the records. Apparently I was quite good at 'Tears' by Ken Dodd and sang it a lot. I also loved 'The Sound of Music' (Still do) and would sing songs from that too. (See you young 'uns didn't invent 'Karaoke', we were doing that back in the 60s and 70s, way before it was imported from Japan and subsequently had it's rise and fall in popularity in the pubs). Nana would often sing Sierra Sue, she had quite a voice as I recall, but would need quite a bit of encouragement to 'perform'. I think she preferred to listen to her grandkids singing instead.

One thing Nana didn't need encouragement to do was knit. She knit for all her grandkids and she also knit an entire wardrobe of garments for my baby doll - Caroline. (I loved that doll and spent hours dressing her up in the lovely outfits Nana made for her). Granddad didn't always appreciate her knitting though - "I can't hear for the clacking of them pins, Edie" he would say, but it didn't deter her. I know Nana also knitted things for my mother and her three sisters (Granddad was outnumbered by females until my mother and aunts married, then he had son-in-laws to even things out a bit , and eventually us grandkids came along and out of the six of us there were three more boys) because I remember Granddad talking about the 'old days' (now somewhat more 'ancient history') when my mother and aunts were kids (I struggled to believe they were once kids when I was one) and how he had taken them to Osmaston Park one afternoon to play and had struck up a conversation with another father doing the same and the other man had asked "Which ones are yours?" and my Granddad had replied "Them four girls in the red knitted cardigans". There was faint hint of exasperation in his voice when he told this story, although I suspect it was only there to make fun of his wife - "Your Nana liked to knit even back then."

'Back then' my Nana was a beautiful woman! I remember being shown a photographs of her and my Granddad in their younger days and being amazed. In one photo, taken at a photographers, she looked like a film star from an old black and white movie. Strikingly beautiful, poised and with an air of calmness about her. Actually, I cant ever remember her having a cross or bad word for anyone. Even though she was (obviously) old when she became a Nana (not old by today's standards though) I always though she was lovely. She had soft skin, warm hands and was lovely to cuddle up to. She wore Tweed perfume (I can still recall the fragrance) and mingled with the fragrance of the wash powder she used, it created a comforting smell that was my 'Nana'.

I loved both Nana and Granddad very much and felt loved in return. I had a lot of admiration for my Nana as a kid, I still do. She had the strength to be with one man for most of her life, raise four girls, look after 6 grandchildren (she 'baby sat' for us all, especially me and my cousin Lyn, and always had time for us.) she loved us all and we knew it. My Nana will always have a special place in my heart, she was wise, kind and loving, which is probably why my memories of her are still as strong despite my getting older. It's also why I still think of her so much.

I do wonder what she would make of the world today. She would no doubt love the fact that Birds are still trading, that knitting is enjoying a revival and I think she would be proud of me. I know she would not understand the modern love of social media as "you don't air your dirty washing in public" was one of her favourite sayings. The increased number of TV channels, together with Mobile Phones (a phone was something you put in the hall - often the coldest place in the house - because you were never on it long and phone conversations were deemed as being private) would no doubt make her sad as they prevent one of the things that made her so happy - uninterrupted time with 'The Family' and the fun of just being together. I think she would find all the fast food, eating out and the trend of ping/ding meals unsettling too - Nana would want to cook for everyone, properly, with fresh ingredients and on a gas stove.

I might be a fifty-five year old woman with children and grandchildren of my own, but I still miss her cooking, her smile, her kindness and love, I even miss the smell of her perfume and her laundry. I miss my Nana and the love I know she had for me and the rest of her family. As her birthday approaches, I hope that wherever she is that she and my granddad (and my two aunts) are happily reunited. I also hope she continues to look out for me and mine and Lyn and hers. She was mine and Lyn's guardian whilst she was alive and I am convinced she continues this role despite having shuffled off this mortal coil.

I saw a film when I was young, an old black and white film, cant recall it's name, but there was one scene in that film that has always stayed me. Two grandparents were sat sleeping in rocking chairs, in heaven. They awoke, looked at each other and smiled. They had woken up because a loved one was thinking of them. I hope that is how it works, because if it is my Nana and Granddad are seldom 'asleep' and smile often.

Happy Birthday Nana. Thanks for so many happy memories, good times, the knitting, many great Christmas parties, for being the glue that held our family together, the love, the food, for looking after me and for being you. I hope you and Granddad have a party, with fresh cut bread, trifle and onion with cucumber in vinegar. I also hope that you sing Sierra Sue.

Love Karen xxx