An Interview with my Nan

Interview series #5

This week I visited my Nan and asked her some questions for my blog. This interview was one I was really excited about as I love hearing about stories and experiences from different generations, especially as I know other stories of my Nan's which are really interesting (but more on that another time). My Nan and I also spent some time looking through pictures and I've included some at the end of the interview if you're interested. For context, my Nan is 92 years young (ha) and is a real role model in my life, she's been through the war and had some really interesting experiences. Her story of how she met my Grandad is one I've always wanted to make into a film and hopefully one day I will, who knows!

Hope you enjoy this post, I think it's a really interesting one. Now that I'm back home I'll be doing a few more episodes for the interview series & I'll be making a video of my recent trip to Skopelos with my parents! I'm also off to Edinburgh in a weeks time so I'll do a post about that trip in the near future too!

Hope you're all well and enjoying your summer so far,

Emily x

The Interview

👵🏼 What is your favourite childhood memory?

A summer holiday in Blackpool, we prayed for a rainy day so we could spend the day in the tower, because of the dancing, the children used to come in and dance to the music in the ballroom, ah it was lovely. And the smell of the salty sea as you went down the wooden steps onto the beach!

👵🏼 What’s something you did as a child that you wish you did more of now?

Oh I dont know, what could I do? Not a lot! We just played! We played in an old hen house, made it into a fish and chip shop or a hotel. We had a lot of freedom because we were always safe in the village, Mum never had to ask “where are you going to play?”.

👵🏼 If you could do over in life what would you do differently?

I wanted to live in Canada but I can’t regret not going to Canada because of my Grandpa. I couldn’t face not seeing him again.

👵🏼 Biggest regret?

Well the things in my life, I’ve had to have them. I suppose I regret not trying to learn more languages but at the time it just seemed such a chore!

👵🏼 What are you most proud of?

My family, my children - eventually.

👵🏼 What was your first job?

I trained as a Comptometer Operator, which is a calculating machine. I did all the calculations for invoices and quotations but I also did typewriting. I trained as a comp op and then taught myself to type.

👵🏼 What was your main profession and why did you choose it?

My main job was a Comptometer Operator and then I had a part time job later on working in the Occupational Therapy department with psychiatric patients and I loved that, I really did. I just fell into that job, the hospital rang asking if your Mum was interested in the position seeing as she was training as an OT at the time, well she wasn't interested in the job so I said “I’ll come” - I was joking! The hospital rang back the next day asking if I was serious and if I could have a think about taking up the position! Went for 3 months and stayed for 3 years!

👵🏼 What age do you feel right now and why?

Now that’s difficult. I only feel about 70 until I stand up and my legs have gone, horrible!

👵🏼 What’s one thing you wish you knew how to do?

Sing!

👵🏼 When have you felt the lowest in life?

When your grandad died.

👵🏼 When have you felt the happiest in life?

I suppose it was when the children were younger and we all went on holiday together. Our holiday in Canada was a very happy time too.

👵🏼 What the most romantic thing you’ve ever done/received in life?

You know what came to mind? *laughs*

I wanted a sandwich and your Grandad said "what do you want?", I said “surprise me, I don’t know what I want" so he did...he shelled some fresh peas from the garden and served me a pea sandwich! He even put a cloth over his wrist when he served it to me!!

Did you eat it?

Yes, it was horrible!

When your Grandad proposed was probably the most romantic thing. We were lying on the beach in Blackpool and he stumbled a bit as he said it, so I egged him on, “go on, what were you going to say?” and he proposed! Grandad's version was that he was just going to offer me a cigarette and I replied "Yes, March the 6th!".

👵🏼 What’s been your favourite age so far?

My 60s, going into retirement and having more time, being well enough to enjoy it, because you’re still together and you’re well enough to go out and about, saved enough money to have some nice holidays and travel with no worries.

👵🏼 Finally, any life advice?

Keep a sense of humour, it’s important!

---

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this piece. Like I said earlier, I really enjoyed this interview, my Nan has some really interesting stories and I love finding out things about my family members. I'll possibly do a blog post on my Nan and Grandad's love story at some point because the story is beautiful. Alternatively you'll have to wait until I make it into a film (ha, in my dreams).

See you soon,

Emily x