What are your childhood memories of your grandparents' house?

[ChaosTrulyReigns]

I was schrunching some foil today and it reminded me of the Vitalite tub of milk bottle tops for the Guide Dogs (always a concept I struggled to undersand) at my DGP's house.

And the whoosh hit of tomato smell in the greenhouse.

And the tea caddy of buttom at the other DGP's house.

And the duoble loo roll holder for soft paper (guests) and Izal (unfortunate family).

And rice pudding with skin on.

And a shiny 5p coin for whomever had the smallest new potato on their plate at Sunday lunch.

Good times. Bittersweet memories.

[HSMMaCM]

The mulberry tree.

The writing desk full of alcoholic miniatures.

Porridge boiling until it had volcanoes.

Sugar sandwiches.

Tim cups in the bath.

Planting pansies.

Rides in the garden basket.

I often see, smell and hear things that remind me of her.

[upupupandaway]

My gran's washing machine with a mangle atop.

[Tapage]

The brass orb at the bottom of the bannister.
The black and white floor tiles.
The cupboard full of home made preserves; french beans, gherkins, plums in syrup, cherries in syrup, blackberry jam.
The outhouse's ceiling from which dozens of wicker baskets were hanging, being made to choose one to go and collect something from the garden.
Peas and violets in the vegetable garden. A rickety green wooden garden folly.
Hens, horrid little legs. Lovely, lovely rabbits.
Church bells tolling.
An interesting attic.
The sound of the kitchen range being cleaned up early in the morning.
Thick, embroided linen on the bed; 'M' and 'P'. Hot water bottle: a glass bottle filled with hot water, wrapped in a towel.
The sour smell of apples in a cool, dark room.
Spending hours in a top bedroom, window opened, sat on a bed reading 'Jour de France', Les Petites Filles Modeles and Heidi, surrounded by Claude Francois posters.

[treaclesoda]

Aw, this is a lovely thread.

I only had one set of gp, the others died long before I was born. But I don't really remember the ones I did have either, which is a shame.

[Marvintheparanoid]

Lost three grandparents before I learned to speak. But my only surviving grandfather was a peach. I remember evenings at his house listening to trains hoot (it was near a train station), eating nuts and singing at the top of our voices. He was into am-dram and very insistent on voice throwing techniques. There were four of us cousins, and we would sing and watch cricket and catch caterpillars off his trees.
Lost him last year, bless his soul.

[tethersend]

Coronation Street
Corned beef sandwiches
TCP
metal fire guard on the gas fire
Tomato plants in the greenhouse
Outside toilet
Old Spice

[sittingatmydeskagain]

The long washing line, with the wooden stick to support it.

Eating raspberries straight from the plants.

Pink and yellow paving slabs.

Lumpy mash, which I used to hide in my pocket.

Other Grandparents (flat in northern spain) - cigar smoke, feeling very tired and confused by the change of culture and language, the lovely smell of my Grandma.

I think I remember the smells best.

[Bug2014]

I was very lucky to have all my dear grandparents up to my late twenties.

Paternal:
Little cut glass pots of perfume with peeling browned labels on Grandma's dressing table which all smelt the same

The constant bubbling noise made by the Rayburn in the kitchen, which was always heated to the approximate temperature of the sun, by the Rayburn

The secret nudie calendar in Grandpa's workshop at the top of the garden

The nativity scene placed under the old well's roof, on top of the boards, so you could see it from the road at Christmas

Grandma's marmalade in an individual tiny jam pot for each grandchild

The rotary dial telephone (brrrring brrrrring) which Grandma answered by saying their location and last 3 digits of their phone number, and the security of feeling like the phone had been there, and she'd been answering it that way, just about forever

Maternal:
My darling Grandma who understood so well how to make children feel special, and how to see the magic in the everyday (welling up)

The excitement of turning into their drive after the long journey and tall Grandma with her big smile striding up, usually carrying an ancient bucket full of chicken feed, and bending down to give me a tight hug and say "dear [Bug]" in my ear

The dachshunds rushing for the postman's hands when the letters dropped into the hall

The cavernous cupboard under the stairs, scene of a daring voyage to the back over all the stored coats and boots, by my brothers and I

Letting the dogs into my teenaged uncle who still lived at home's room early every morning of our stay to wake him up, without fail

Grandpa swearing at the cricket

Going round feeding the ponies, hens and geese with Grandma and the enormous sense of responsibility

Sweet peas

All Grandma's beaded necklaces hung over her mirror inviting little hands to select one

Sunshine

Car trips to see Grandma's friends, always interesting people

I just hope I can be half the Grandma she was one day.

[CheesyBadger]

Wooden egg cups polished by my nan

Thick toast and marmalade with real butter!

Chunky crayons, the smell of them in the tub.

My nans pink powder puff and props brush and mirror set

Potato soup


My grandad died in February and I miss him so much it hurts. The smell of his scent brings it all whooshing back. It is amazing what can be triggered by a smell

[SquidgyMummysCat]

Tick tock clock in the background
Learning to Play Gin rummy
Boiled sweets
Knitted bedsocks
hot water bottle in bed

[SquidgyMummysCat]

My other grandma

Saved the butter packets to use to line cake tins
Made marble cake - we used to help
Always visited loaded up with patties (savoury snacks)
Used to do "bending exercises" to keep her waist trim it worked
only ate half a banana, left the other cut half in the fruit bowl

[CPtart]

Twenty boxes of washing powder in the cupboard.
The way she melted the last of one bar of soap onto a new one, to save waste.
The smell of geraniums in the "lean to".
Her mangle.
Hot chocolate in a royal wedding mug.
The picture of my g grandma on her 90th birthday which took pride of place.
The good old tea trolley, men sat and watched the TV whilst the women made sandwiches and served up....then cleared up!
An enormous grape vine in the greenhouse, and the smell of ripening tomatoes.

[CPtart]

....I'm in my forties now and have one remaining grandma. Very lucky.

[upupupandaway]

Grandparent had a very smelly Scottish terrier called Mandy.They grew all their own fruit and vegetables. I used to love having a brown paper bag of sugar to dip my stick of rhubarb in

[Nagasaki]

Rhubarb patch
Vegetable soup with beef shin
Brown telephone
Porcelain dolly on stand
Scary wardrobe
Cuddles

[LyndaCartersBigPants]

A music box on the mantelpiece. I can hear it in my head now. That tune speaks of crackly log fires, Murray mints and safety to me!

Also pancakes on the plates that were kept in the top cupboard so my grandma had to use the step stool to get them out, with Jif lemon and sugar.

Slightly out of tune piano.

Walking up to the nearby paddocks and feeding apples to the horses.

Grandad having a nap with the clock ticking.

[LyndaCartersBigPants]

Other grandparents' house, pink lemonade made with Ribena.

Over cooked 'nan' veg and stewed meat.

Slightly batty dogs (they had several during my life time, but they were all barking mad).

Stiflingly hot rooms filled with cigarette smoke.

Opinionated grandad getting worked up and cross about stuff.

[Awks]

Listening to the cars on the road outside (we lived rurally and didnt hear anything at night)
Lying in bed with my nana and the Catalogue, making Christmas lists
The Potty :)
Putting black bits from the newspaper on our front teeth and smiling
Home made chips and stork margarine on bread
People coming into the house all the time for a chat

[RonaldMcDonald]

Sitting on the draining board as my grandma was peeling lbs of potatoes. Every day lbs of potatoes.
Listening to her sing 'It was only a bunch of violets'
My grandfather's western books.
Sitting on his knee in the front of the car whilst he was driving, changing gears for him (!)
A thousand wonderful lovely things

Sob, lovely thread

Oh my other grandparents? Least said

[NCFTTB]

We were talking about this tonight. Lots of great memories.

Top 3:

Watching 2 videos repeatedly - Pollyanna and Mr Knibbles
Eating fairy cakes with grated coconut or jelly diamonds on top
Grandmother only ever wearing skirts or dresses

[goldopals]

Dad's side- watching videos in the afternoon and then having salad sandwiches and Sno-top for lunch. I remember lots of ducks (Nana's favourite print for crockery), the sound of their doorbell and the HUGE amount of books (that I inherited).
Mum's side- sleepovers and sneaky treats.

[MackerelOfFact]

The smell of Superkings cigarettes (to this day the only cigarette I actually like the smell of - and I detest smoke, in general).

My grandad's 'bureau' which he kept locked and seemed to contain endless fascinating artifacts. There was a little toy monkey that sat on top of it.

Their placemats with scenes of windmills and cottage on the front and a map of East Anglia on the back. I would always turn mine over and find the town we lived it.

Being given a little box of Smarties by my Grandma and a pound coin pressed into my palm by my Grandad whenever we left their house.

Special mugs with our names on and their farmyard playset from the Bowls Club jumble sale. I asked to take them home every time. I was never allowed.

The little wooden box on the windowsill of the room I slept in which contained the following: a hologram of a panda, a small plastic fluffy chick, a brooch, a tiny wooden Pinocchio, a coin from New Zealand. I would sneak upstairs and pretend to be looking out the window so I could fondle these secret treasures.

The texture of their patio when I had no shoes or socks on, how the super-short mowed lawn felt to lay on, and the smell of the conifers flanking the steps in the garden as you brushed past them.