A memory a day - 32 - Nan

This is my Nan. She was actually my dad's nan, so my great nan. She was a beautiful old soul. When I was around 7 or 8 we would visit her in Withernsea, just North of Hull. I'd go swimming in the brown north sea at freezing temperatures and then we'd trudge back to Nans back through the beachfront towers, turning a corner to see a towering lighthouse, then bathed in the warmth of Nans dining room sat at the table for her most delicious bean and potato stew probably followed by a mug of Horlicks. Nan's husband Cliff would be in an armchair by the fire throughout this experience sleeping, cribbaging or generally observing the world at large. I'm not sure he ever left that chair!

The back room was filled with games and books and boxes of craft making goodies. Heaven for a child with such a love for stationary and making things. But most importantly Nan kept the most stunningly magical garden of flowers and vegetables I have ever seen. Although my memories of the seafront are all of cloudy chilly days shivering in a towel, all the memories of nans back garden are of brilliant sunshine and vibrant flowers typifying any persons dream of an English Garden with a touch of the land of Oz.

It was also nan who told me that the furry leaved plants were rabbits ears leading to many scary thoughts of earless bunnies in the undergrowth for quite some time!