Tell me one interesting fact about one of your grandparents

[listsandbudgets]

Because I'm bored and nosey.

My nan could speak Italian but only in the imperative because she and my grand dad had Italian prisoners of war on their farm during world war 2

My grandfather was fiercely egalitarian. He refused to discriminate on the basis of gender or race, even when it lost him clients, who didn't want to take legal and financial advice from a black woman. (early 60s) He said he'd rather employ the best people than keep bad clients. It's one of the things I am most proud of.

My grandad was a fighter pilot in WW2 who got shot down. He survived but was taken prisoner of war and then managed to escape. I don't know anymore detail as he wouldn't ever talk about it. We still have his flight jacket.

My grandma was brought up gypsy, and only first lived in a house when she wed my grandad

Aged 13 my Grandma was allowed to going to the local town on her own driving the family pony in their trap. She left the pony and trap at the local inn but on her return they put the wrong pony in the trap, which took off at speed, overturned the trap and left her in a ditch.

Amazing stories PPs. My maternal grandfather died before I was born but although unremarkable, the three GPs I met we're wonderland I loved them dearly. My maternal nana died aged 97.

In his youth, my grandad was a miner and was run over so badly one day at work that he had to have a piece of metal inserted in his leg. He totally forgot about it and, decades later, in the 1970s, got really arsey with airport staff when they couldn’t figure out why he was setting off the metal detector (and neither could he).

My Grandfather was the only man in his landing craft to get off the beach alive during D-Day.

My grandparents found 3 dead bodies on three separate occasions (within about 25years). They've avid dog walkers.

My grandparents found 3 dead bodies on three separate occasions (within about 25years). They've avid dog walkers.

More likely they're serial killers....

My Grandpa used to have dental work done without anaesthetic, so that he'd know if the dentist drilled through his cheek.

One grandparent was a child of a founder member of the Labour Party. This DGP was born in 1909. The father had 2 families, both with lots of children (over 7 to each family) within 2 streets of each other in the old East End of London. The children went to school together but never twigged until later.

The other grandparent was the product of a divorced reationship. The father (DGGF) had custody of the children (5 of them) and the DGGM family (Who were Irish Catholic) paid for the Act of Parliament that let them divorce. This was in 1915. This DGP was born in 1911. I have contacted the Priest of the Parish where they married in 1895, and the records that document this have been "lost".

Neither family were well-off.

My paternal grandad (pap) was born in 1900 (he used to tell us it was the same year as the Queen Mother). He was a famed cobbler in Northampton and was chosen to make the shoes for the footmen at the Queen’s coronation. He also made size 32 shoes for a circus giant. The first pair weren’t perfect enough to sell and they are on display in the Northampton shoe museum. My paternal grandmother worked in service from aged 14 for a cousin of the Queen as the children’s nanny

My granny was a champion runner. She held the British record for her distance from about 1937 until the 1960s.

She didn't get to race in the Olympics because of WW2 and then having my dad in 1948 which meant she wasn't allowed to compete again.

I love this thread!

My paternal grandparents aren't anything to be proud of but are easy to know the history of because my Grandpa was an earl in an old English family so everything is recorded all the way back to Mary Boleyn. Her daughter, Catherine, was born during a time her husband was away from court and Mary was still the mistress of Henry VIII so... My Grandpa inherited his title quite young, along with huge wealth amassed from diamond mining in Africa and proceeded to fritter it all away on women and alcohol. He was a true 60s playboy, an alcoholic and had six wives. Only four grandchildren, though! I never liked him much and I don't think he was very interested in his children or his grandchildren although I loved his last wife, who he married before we were born. He died when I was 23.

My paternal grandmother was not from 'good stock' but was such a snob that she never remarried because, even though they were divorced, she kept her title of countess unless she married again. Also an alcoholic.

My maternal grandparents I'm much prouder of. My grandma was a phycisist and the only woman on her degree course and in the company she later worked for. She got married at 27, having thought she'd be left on the shelf! My grandad was a consultant surgeon and very well respected. Both were incredibly loving, kind, supportive people. After my dad left (also an alcoholic - funny that!), when I was 7, they stepped in to help my mum tons. They would have us after school at least once a week and my grandma would make me jam or tomato sandwiches. My grandad died last year and I was heartbroken. My grandma is still living, with advanced dementia, though. My children love/loved them both. They had four children, 14 grandchildren and currently 12 (13 in Jan) great-grandchildren.

This is such a lovely thread. Thanks for sharing :)

There was a 20 year gap between my granny and grandad! My grandad would have been well over 100 now!

My grandad was in the navy in 2nd ww. While he was away my grandma became pregnant by another man. My grandad raised my aunt as his own, this has only come to light very recently. I don't actually know that much about them sadly. We weren't that close and they didn't discuss personal things very much.

My grandad was playing tig with my brother and tripped and fell. He broke his neck 😥

My Taid (Welsh Grandad) had a hard life growing up in North Wales in the 30's (and then he married my Nana but that is a different story ) I was told he couldn't speak English until he joined the Army!

He was the last baby boy to be born on Bardsey Island. His Mum was meant to go to the mainland but there was a storm and they didn't make it. I think he was delivered by his Dad and a woman off the island.

His Dad died when he was young and they had to leave the island to live with his Mum's family and were incredibly poor. He told me that his Mum used to write notes that he had to take to the local council man to ask for some money and the council man used to be horrible and say terrible things about his Mum.

One heartbreaking/heart warming story was when his Mum gave him a few pennies one Saturday to get some bacon bones so she could make a soup for the week to feed the family as it was literally all she could afford. The butcher gave my Taid the bag of bones and another package and said it was for his dinner the next day. As my Taid left the shop the butcher called him back as he'd forgot his change. The butcher gave my Taid his pennies back and in the bag was a small joint for the family. Just a lovely story about a small community supporting each other in hard times.

He was blind for the last decade or so of his life and would still mow the lawn for my Nana and kept chickens. He was incredibly ill for a very long time but still laughed and joked. He'd sit in his chair and make terrible jokes and wind us all up. He kept my Nana in check with her crazy ways. He died just over 2 years ago and the family misses him awfully.

My darling Nan was 87 when she died. I was in my mid 40s.

I've got a photo from my wedding with her, my mum and my 6 month old DD as well as me. We've still got 4 generations as my mum is now great grannie, my eldest DD has got 3 of her own.

I always feel so lucky to have had her for so long, though I still miss her dreadfully. And I hope to be the eldest in a photo of 4 generations.

My grandad emigrated to the US when he was 19, then joined the American army and served in WW1. He lost one of his fingers in a circular saw in a wood mill when he was working in US.
He then returned to Wales and met my gran.

My grandad was a diamond merchant and as it turns out, a massive thief. For which I forgive him, as he was a boring fart in almost every other walk of life.

my grandpa worked in the delorian factory and was one of the last men out when it closed down.