for my 'grandmother' who had lily of the valley in her garden and made wine from cowslips
(Although we've already celebrated Mother's Day in England this year, the word for today is 'mother' or 'grandmother').
Several years ago, I wrote a couple of pages about my childhood in a Suffolk village. This is what I wrote about my grandmother:
“Pale, delicate rose pink, the taste innocent and effervescent – that was nana’s home-made raspberry and redcurrant wine. She could make wine out of almost anything, or so it seemed to me – parsnips, wheat, potatoes, elderberries, cowslips, dandelions (I remember the whole family going out for the day on a Sunday to pick the golden smelly flower heads). But the raspberry and redcurrant was the most innocuously inebriating.
Home for my grandparents was the second in a row of terraced cottages in a village called Claydon in Suffolk. Downstairs: the back kitchen for daily living; the ‘front room’, for high days and holidays. Upstairs: two bedrooms, one large and one small. In the large front room my grandmother’s ‘Evening in Paris’ perfume stood on the dressing table, its heady scent confined in an opaque glass midnight-blue bottle.
The back bedroom looked out over the back garden which always seemed to be full of flowers: white lily of the valley with its distinctive scent, small crimson-headed daisies lining the narrow garden path, sculptured blue irises, bright anemones and two tall fragrant double-lilac trees, one deep purple and one white.
In the shed was the privy – a smelly bucket under a hole in a wooden seat with an ample supply of scratchy already-read newspaper.
On our return from our country walks with our granddad, there was always the warm smell of baking in the back kitchen. Nana used to bake bread, cakes and puddings and make jam. I always thought of this as a labour of love and it was something of a shock when she confided in me, when I was 10, that she had always hated cooking. She told me about working in service as a ‘tweeny’ (a between maid) and how she once had to cook the Yorkshire pudding because the cook was off ill. She was worried that the pudding wouldn’t rise so used two eggs instead of one.”
My grandmother lived to 91 and, although I did not know her in her youthful elegance, to me she was always a happy and homely jolly person.
What a wonderful story - paradise (I imagine it really was in a Suffolk country garden). I think my grandparents garden makes me think of Lily of the valley, crabapples, rhubarb and roses. And of course the crabapple went into jelly and the rhubarb we used to eat raw with a twist of sugar in grease proof paper.
A wonderful tribute to your Nana. Reading your words evoked a lot of feelings in me, because I have simillar fond memories of my grandmother as well. Thank you for bringing back the smell, the look and the warmth of childhood to me.
Sarah, thank you for your view and lovely comment. Where in Suffok was your dad born? I was born in Claydon where my grandmother lived but when I was five we had the 'good fortune' to move to a council estate in Ipswich. I say the words ironically as I'm sure I would have loved to stay in the little cottage whe had but the council house was a step up for my parents as the river at the bottom of the cottage garden used to flood sometimes and my mum told me the story of taking the piano upstairs so it would not be spoiled.
Thank you, Lesley. We went back once on a visit to relations in Suffolk to look for our cottage where I lived with my sister and parents in Paper Mill Lane, Claydon but either it wasn't there or had been re-numbered because we couldn't locate it. My grandparents lived on the main road along from the shop and nearly next to the rectory wall and my grandfather had an allotment up Church Lane (think that's right!) He used to take us up Back Lane for country walks but the fields are now all houses.
Thank you, Karin. Some memories just stay with us all our lives and I remember in a Spanish class doing a bit of writing about my grandparents and the teacher commented that grandparents are special people to children and very important. I'm glad my words brought back good memories for you.
Gosh, I bet that rhubarb was tart in spite of the sugar and also crisp! My granddad also had an allotment in the village and I remember mostly those big fat yellow-green gooseberries which we could eat straight from the bush!
@quietpurplehaze It kept you regular! I seem to remember eating it and feeling we should be enjoying it rather than it actually being good - made your eyes water!
@quietpurplehaze Mymother -in-law is very special about all her grandchildren . She has a lot of photographs on her dining room wall and in the middle of all these there is a little frame with the words "Grandmothers are mothers that were given a second chance by God". I think this sums it up and is very lovely
Thank you, Patricia, for your comments and enthusiasm. (I hope you got my message about asking to be my friend on fb?)
Dave, you did make me smile saying that because of course I was part of that bygone age - but only as a child!!!!!!!!!!
I know Claydon quite well, we often walk around there and David drives through it on his way to work in Great Blakenham.
Sarah, thank you for your view and lovely comment. Where in Suffok was your dad born? I was born in Claydon where my grandmother lived but when I was five we had the 'good fortune' to move to a council estate in Ipswich. I say the words ironically as I'm sure I would have loved to stay in the little cottage whe had but the council house was a step up for my parents as the river at the bottom of the cottage garden used to flood sometimes and my mum told me the story of taking the piano upstairs so it would not be spoiled.
No need for apologies. Couldn't resist teasing you, Dave!
Thank you, Lesley. We went back once on a visit to relations in Suffolk to look for our cottage where I lived with my sister and parents in Paper Mill Lane, Claydon but either it wasn't there or had been re-numbered because we couldn't locate it. My grandparents lived on the main road along from the shop and nearly next to the rectory wall and my grandfather had an allotment up Church Lane (think that's right!) He used to take us up Back Lane for country walks but the fields are now all houses.
Thank you, Karin. Some memories just stay with us all our lives and I remember in a Spanish class doing a bit of writing about my grandparents and the teacher commented that grandparents are special people to children and very important. I'm glad my words brought back good memories for you.
Gosh, I bet that rhubarb was tart in spite of the sugar and also crisp! My granddad also had an allotment in the village and I remember mostly those big fat yellow-green gooseberries which we could eat straight from the bush!
Thank you, Jean. Glad you enjoyed your Mother's Day and lovely to still have your mum and sister with you.
And thank you, Paula, for your kind words.
Thank you, Ferry and for all your enthusiastic comments on my 365 photos.
Christine, thank you, certain memories always linger, I think.
Thanks, Marilyn. I was a little unsure about doing this but am now pleased that I did.
@nicoleterheide @ivan @alielh @sianb
Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
Thank you, Darren.