My grandparents, about 1918

I do not remember my father’s parents. They died before I was born but I remember my mother’s parents very well.

I remember Grandma as a tall thin lady with a bun of hair at the back, who always seemed to dress in black with a long skirt to the ankles and a high neck.Grandad was also tall with a white beard. He was a retired policeman and together with their son George ran a smallholding.

Our holidays were spent at their house in a village in Northamptonshire called Isham. At that time the house seemed enormous. They lived in the kitchen looking out over a large overgrown garden with a field beyond and a railway line where we used to watch the little steam trains go by.

At the front of the house was a sitting room, where the curtains seemed to be always kept drawn, a music room and a shop.At the side of the house was a stable with a place for the horse, Tom, and another for the “buggy”’ a little square cart with seats on the side and a door at the back. On the other side of the road was a large orchard with apples, pears, plums, currants and gooseberries which my Grandma used to take to Kettering market in the buggy. We children were sometimes allowed to go with her. There was a very steep hill down into Kettering and Grandma had to put brakes on the cart. The horse was a retired warhorse and we used to tease Grand-ma she had to say ‘charge’ instead of ‘gee-up’.

Later when Uncle George wanted to get married they moved to a farm near ‘Old’ called ‘Kites Hall Farm’ and Grandma and Grandad lived in the little lodge cottage. Uncle George and Auntie Beattie lived in the huge farmhouse where we stayed on holiday. In 1929 Grandad developed cancer and died later in hospital. His body was taken to our house in Duston, Northamptonshire. I remember being taken in to our front room and shown him in his coffin.He just looked asleep.

Grandma took a job as housekeeper to an elderly man. A few years after, an old sweetheart of hers, Tom, got in touch (he had also lost his wife). In 1931 they married in Duston church. My sister and I were bridesmaids, dressed in bright green with black hats. I have a photo of that. They moved to his cottage in Lincolnshire where we spent our holidays after that.

Though my Grand parents were very loving and seemed to like having us to stay, there was no demonstrative showing of affection, no kissing or hugging.We were treated very well but sometimes at a distance, perhaps as a necessary addition to my mother.

As to the horse, he was retired to a field at Kites Hall Farm and soon had to be put down.