What are your childhood memories of your grandparents' house?

Things I remember are,

Making a camp out of the clothes horse and lots of blankets in my nan's front room with my brother.

Giggling so much in bed one night when I was staying because my nan passed wind that we had to get up again and have a cup of cocoa before we could go back to bed!

The smell of apple crumble and minced beef and onion pies (and overcooked vegetables).

So thankful to have my nana around still - love you nana.

Reading all your wonderful experiences with your grandparents has made me realise, yet again, what I missed out on with my grandparents. My mum's mum was a lovely lady, but really old and not very well. She died when I was 12. My dad's parents had little or no interest in me at all. Even though they only lived about 5/6 miles away, I hardly ever saw them. I think it was their choice, not our's. They just weren't interested. They had an older grandchild who was their favourite (my cousin) and by the time I came along, they just couldn't be bothered. I'm determined not to be like that when I have grandchildren.

My Grandfather used to take me with him on errands and would stop at a lovely pub with a garden for a swift pint. On returning he'd tell his wife that he was late back because he'd "met an angel"

Which reminds me of one of my Grandmother's relatives back in Ireland who had a DH who was a problem drinker. One night she and her sisters organised themselves to follow him back home through the fields hiding in ditches, screaming and wailing like banshees and basically frightening the life out of the poor chap.

No Mumsnet then, but they coped

Red carbolic soap with its funny smell.
Nans aprons which went round her middle.
Grandad's greenhouse full of tomatoes and cucumbers.
Going to the corner shop for penny chews and Grandad's rizlas.
Sheets instead of duvet, hot water bottle in bed every night.
Games of cluedo, snakes and ladders and a funny spinning top to collect buttons.
Nan teaching me how to knit.
Homemade chicken stew with dumplings.
Watching road runner cartoons on some amazing projector cinema that Grandad set up.
Toast every lunchtime with various toppings.

Ohhhh

warm towels - granny put them in the dryer while we were in the bath
exploring in the raspberry cage and greenhouse
eating peas in the pod straight off the plant
the electric fence at the bottom of the garden
sheeps wool for granny's dodgy foot
hideous reclining armchair in mustard swirl pattern, and brown tweedy sofas
radio 4 on all the time (now my mum is just the same, and I'm getting there..)
condensation on the metal windows, and the special condensation sponge
plum tree outside the back door
smell of milky instant coffee
going mushrooming in autumn
picking primroses in spring (only one allowed from each plant)
nylon fold up shopping bags, with a leather case
constantly having to look for spectacles
doing maths and logic puzzles as a game (granny was a maths teacher)
electric plate warmer
floral bedlinen
the car journey there

Silence except for the tic toc and chime of the grandfather clock

the most amazing model train track in the cellar with loads of railway memorabilia

spiral, cast iron staircase that went nowhere, in the garden

My 'papa'(mother's father)

I don't have that many memories of him.He died when I was 9,and my visits were relatively brief,but I do remember having a glass of diet Irn Bru when visiting him,and that he always,always had Mr Kipling's French Fancies.

Playing with his walking stick.

That I loved the spare room with its ornaments, a carthorse, a fisherman, Grouse whiskey bottle holder,and a few others.

Taking the soup/stew etc my grandmother made for him,they'd separated,but she still liked to make sure that he was fed,and they were only four flats apart,and being given a Milky Way in return.

My other grandfather died soon after I was born,so I've no memories of him.

My grandmother (Father's mother)

That she was always making soup when I got there. And we had a bowl for lunch,and she was usually making bacon sandwiches too.

My cousin,who's the same age, was usually there too,and she'd chase the two of us around with her false teeth.

Reading my older cousin's annuals while there.

Watching Dot and The Kangaroo. And Watership Down.

That we always ended up with at least half a dozen other relatives visiting at the same time,and several family friends.

Going to the shop around the corner which had the best ginger beer I've ever tasted.

Playing in the playpark outside her home. There was a part that was always flooded, and we used to float around on wooden boards,with sticks for oars.

She developed alzheimers while I was still relatively young so that's all I remember really.

Oh, and watching agog as Nan applied her pan stick. Such a particular smell to it. And greasy!

Always a huge pot of tea set on a tray in front of Nan who was invariably lounging on the corner of the sofa.

Melamine(? I think) beakers - lots of different colours, all with white dots over them.

Grandads shed (wasn't allowed in it as it was 'dangerous' so would stand in the doorway to talk to him or call him to the house for tea) which always had the radio playing in it. His greenhouse. I only ever buy 'on the vine' tomatoes now and always sniff them, thinking of him. Often green tomatoes on the windowsill, ripening.

Grandfather clock in the hallway that marked the quarter, half and hours.

Laying in bed and the sheets, blankets and duvet weighing down on me SO heavy and so comforting. Hot water bottle in the winter. A chamber pot under the bed!

Nan eating coconut ice, frys chocolate cream, chocolate brazils, and usually a cream cake in the afternoon (with lots of tea, naturally. With about 8 sugars in it (not exaggerating!)). She had a sweet tooth that she wasn't afraid of indulging!

Grandad boiling trotters on the hob. Telling me how tasty they were, and 'good for you' (hey, he's still going at 88, Nan died when she was 63 so probably he's on to something!). Nan cooking massive hams/gammon joints in the pressure cooker.

The french doors which seemed SO amazing to me, given that I lived in a flat. The rockery. The massive fir tree that I always seemed to find tiny birds eggs on the floor near in spring. Would bring them in and keep them in front of the fire thinking they might hatch.

Grandad with his reel to reel tape recorder, shelves of tapes, ALL of them big band music.

A HUGE cracker full of toys one christmas, bought from Macro, or Peacocks (they had a corner shop, and so could buy unusual stuff at the wholesalers).

Sitting on the doorstep of the shop whilst Nan worked behind the counter/till and helping myself sporadically to penny sweets.

So many more. My grandparents were so dear to me (I lived with them for a while, too, when my parents split up and Mum ran off to the south coast to work at Pontins!) and I just felt so loved there.

Button box
No central heating
Outside privy still there from the old days.
The front room which was rarely used by the family. I could never understand it - small 3-bed house in which four children were raised and they left an entire room unused!
Grandmother without her teeth - terrifying and funny in equal measures.
Sheets on the bed instead of duvets.
The smell of kippers frying for breakfast.
Ancient game of Ludo and Snakes and Ladders.
One bedroom was an actual boxroom where the stairs cut in. It was tiny.
Vegetables boiled to buggery.
Cheese and potato pie.

Absolute unconditional love. We were so treasured.

A colleague brought in quality streets the other day and it reminded me so much of my paternal grandparents. Other things, the smell of my grandmother's face powder, amazing deserts, the soda stream and granny having G&Ts every evening, Granddad's piano (which is mine now, lucky me!), the softness of granny when we hugged her ...

For my maternal grandparents, my grandfather died when I was young but I still remember him, and his "pouf" that I loved to sit on, him pretending to be knight rider. Granny was central to the family and over fed everyone, bossed everyone around (including giving instructions to the doctor, moments before she died), her massive collection of reader's digests, the amazing tropical garden.

A couple of years ago I went back to the area where they lived for the first time since granny died, and it was awful. I miss them all so much.

Watching my Granny put on face powder, and looking through her jewellery box.

My Grandpa's old cars; driving down to Spar in one of them once and getting ice creams.

Rhubarb and gooseberries in the garden, and climbing over the wall at the bottom of the garden for a walk in the forest. Horses in the fields.

Them calling eachother "Mother" and "Father" with a North-of-Scotland burr.

Feeling very lucky (considering I'm nearly 30) that my grandparents (x4) are still there, in their houses quite nearby. I'd see them more but am too pregnant to manage much right now. When the little one pops out we'll be doing some visiting of great-grandparents :)

Sitting on the back bit of the sofa playing hairdressers with my grandad. He had a comb, plastic scissors and this weird shampoo that didn't need washing out and I loved the smell of it.

Going to the arcades in the summer and probably spending alot of money there!

Sleeping in the spare room but my gran had to remove the creepy china dolls first.

Drinking tea in bed in the morning which my grandad had made for us.

Taking the dog for a walk across the field and playing I spy with my grandad.

Going for a walk to the village with my gran and she'd always point out the witches house (was probably a v normal house in reality!)

Playing rummikub with my gran and she always let me win.

Just spent the last half hour with tears in my eyes......

Fresh cakes
Real fires
Being properly cold in winter
Being spoiled
Being loved and praised for anything and everything
Getting into bed with grandparents when really cold
Vicks on my chest
Hard toilet paper
Hot chocolate before bed
Saying my prayers
The smell of the bakelite phone.
As much lemonade as I wanted
My Dad's old toys
Listening to them about "how things were"
Burned baked beans (how the hell that's possible still defeats me)
Rusty everything in the garage
Perfect gardens

Being made to feel great.

Oh I am feeling a bit emotional now. So many memories, where to start?

My paternal grandmother died before I was born. My paternal grandfather I don't remember much of, other than his nicotine stained fingers. He lived in a flat above his grocer shop. I don't remember much, but my Dad told me a hilarious story the other day about their Saturday boy, who cycled about 3 miles to work; and GD had put 3 bricks in his bag one day as a prank :D. I love hearing these stories, and must start asking my Dad more about his childhood etc.

My maternal grandparents we saw all the time, and my Nana was the most amazing person. She was so obsessed with us all! Spoilt us rotten, and she always told me how clever I was and that I'd be the first in the family to go to University - I was. I remember

Scotch pancakes toasted with butter oozing off them. When I stayed with her on a school day she'd lay all my clothes on the radiator so they were warm, then come in to the room in the morning with the pancakes, tea and hand me my clothes so I could get dressed without getting cold!

Going to all the shops - the butcher, greengrocer, fishmonger. She'd always buy Tongue!

Cooking - all the time. Food was always special, she was an amazing cook. Steaks or lemon sole. I remember making homemade chicken maryland quite often, complete with fried bananas. And she made the most amazing mashed tatties, which I still try to replicate. Oh and her Creme Caramel was amazing .

Whiskey - both of them drank quite a lot of it!

Their rug in front of the TV. It was a hairy thing, probably nylon but we all loved it and used to lie on it.

Podding peas grown in the garden. Alongside these beautiful sweet peas. My grandfather was an amazing gardener. The garden also had two ponds, complete with fish and water lillies. We used to go in all the time which made him a bit cross!

The smell of Roger and Gallet soap. The knitted loo roll cover (a bit like a bride in an enormous dress). The airing cupboard which always smelled gorgeous. The utility room with the enormous Belfast sink, where Nana used to hand wash all her smalls!

Me and my sister lying in twin beds in the front bedroom with Nana singing to us; or our favourite thing ever, 2 koala bears they had brought back from Australia, with a wind-up bit that played Waltzing Matilda. We loved those, and I hope my Mum still has them somewhere.

My grandfather finding 50p's behind my ear.

Actually - I remember everything. The pattern on the carpet, the paintings my grandfather did (two of which are now in my Lounge). The upstairs "loft" where we held Christmas every year, and the paper streamers that stayed up all the time. The spare wardrobe upstairs as there were so many clothes. The button box . The tallboy (though I'm still not actually sure what piece of furniture that was!). The Siamese cat. How the house and garden were always immaculate, but no one ever told us off for making a mess. Hospital corners on the beds. Blankets with a satin binding. The house was always roasting (oh how I miss that now).

But most of all, I remember the cuddles, the kind words, and the unconditional love :(. But also, :) for having these memories at all, that makes me a very lucky person.

Wow, I didn't know I missed my Nana so much, she died about 25 years ago.

Ooohh - the fly! there was always a buzzing fly.

The dark furniture and musty carpets and tick-tocking clock in the front room, where time went by about 40 times slower than in real life.

My grandpa's mineral collection that we were allowed to look at. And a drawer in the smallest bedroom full of interesting old junk.

Horrendous, filthy kitchen with loads of crumbly out-of-date packets marked in shillings and pence, home-grown veg lying around mouldering and a washing up brush at least 100 years old.

Rock-hard, lumpy beds with blankets instead of duvets.

I used to be so jealous of the lovely french windows and porch out onto the lawn, which my grandpa didn't ever use. The windows were blocked by the telly and you had to go out of a side door. I would sit there and fantasize about how if it was my house, I'd throw them open.

Recently I've realised that close to my grandpa's house were dozens of cool things we could have visited, forests, zoos, museums, caves etc. We never did. We just went for the same local walks every time and sat in the front room.

Maternal

• white bread, proper butter and homemade raspberry jam for tea
• lemon merangue pie for Sunday lunch
• My Grandad going up in the loft the first day of our stay to get all my mum and uncles old toys down
• My Grandad made us stilts one summer- they were awesome
• Going with my grandad to empty his traps and getting a carrot from the allotment on the way home
• My Gran's amazing button tin
• The electric organ
• They had a croquet set and we used to make a dog gymkhana in the garden using the hoops and garden canes and "train" the dog to go over it.

Paternal

• Radio 3, Countdown and Corrie
• My grandad singing a song called "Suzie-Anna"
• Going to the working mens club to play bingo
• Shep the dog
• Going to sit on my nan's bed in the morning and chatting to her while she had her tea
• Doing the crossword with my nan
• Being called "our" BofF

I had awesome Grandparents. I was so lucky.

I thought my nan's house was heaven on earth - a country cottage surrounded by fields.

Porch with loads of miniature cacti on shelves.

Living room with a fully integrated bar with plastic pineapple ice container and optics on the wall . Weirdly, they hardly drank at all. We would watch Crossroads and 321 and other ITV stuff never allowed at home while Grandad had half a cider and we had shandy.

Kitchen had a breakfast bar with high stools - thought this was the last word in cool - and placemats with pictures of the harbour at Tenby.

A 'verandah' (corrugated plastic lean-to) out the back where we did colouring in and listened to the radio (Ed Stewart or DLT) while rain drummed on the roof.

Freezing bedrooms with candlewick bedspreads - nan had a Teasmade and would let us have a cup of v v sweet milky tea with a digestive in the mornings in her bed.

She had a treat tin full of sweets and cake. An aviary full of budgies. A pond with a rockery that our Fisher Price people used to regularly drown in.

Wow. It was my dream house.

Great question!

the hit of of overcooked veg mixed with cigarette smoke and damp air from the top load tumble dryer as you walked through the door.

Black plastic sofa with nylon flowery cushions.

Pears soap.

Just love
They loved us so much
Crying now

OH GOD!!! just saw up there ^^ the Football Pools. We were all addicted!

Jaffa cakes and Pop in the bottles you used to take back to get a penny back!

And Nana chain smoking!

Fifteen blankets on the bed with all my clothes on too as it was effing cold!

A whole room full (or so it felt to me) of Agatha Christie books... I still adore a good murder mystery 30 years later!

Unbelievable food. She really was a "chuck it all in and see" but by god it was always fantastic.

at the memories.

The smell of lamb / pork etc in the kitchen ALL OF THE TIME

Taking me window shopping to all sorts of places (window rather than real because we had no money but it was still great)

Sugar butties

A maiden in the kitchen on a pulley type thing,I remember the ceiling looked so high up (and the clothes always smelled of lamb/other meaty smelling meats [fond smile]

walking to the local shops where Nana would always buy me a choc cake from the baker and get a bag of scraps from the chippy

Proper cooked breakfasts, with the egg all crispy on the outside because it had been cooked in lard

Cuddling up to their two dogs

Grandads cup that he never washed thich with brown tea stains. Nana scrubbed it one day and he wasnt pleased

A cat ornament that I loved to just look at, it was a "mum" cat with two babies attached by a chain on the mum cat. Ive been hunting for one at boot sales etc but have never seen one Id be over the moon if I ever managed to get my hands on one

I miss my Nana so much

Faint smell of gas from the live gas grill

Lucozade bottles wrapped in orange cellophane, always served warm.

nylon sheets and cellular blankets

cold water in the bathroom

Quality Street yellow penny shaped toffees

my grandmother being a miserable old cow and our visits being done under sufference.