I used to go to my Grandparents house every Saturday.
Now, my Grandparents were awesome.

They spoilt me and my brother rotten and adored us unconditionally. We’d play camps and Star Wars and Granddad would pretend to be a monster and chase us with his false teeth hanging out.

We’d get to eat and drink what we liked until we felt sick and were hyperactive little brats (must have been a delight for my parents when they came to pick us up)

We’d be bought football stickers and comics. We had a ‘Bits and Bobs’ box each that would have tin foil, cardboard tubes, glitter, all sorts of arts and crafts type stuff (including, as mentioned in a previous QOTW, 100’s of matchbox car wheels)

Saturdays were a delight, we’d get away with murder.

Nearly all my happiest childhood memories are from Saturdays with Nan & Granddad.

But, there was one big caveat, woe betide us if we prevented Granddad from having his cup of tea dead on 11 am and 3pm. For 15 minutes at those two times of day, we knew that we were to sit quietly reading or drawing and not disturb him.

Out would come the tea leaves, the old fashioned kettle, the tea strainer, the silver sugar spoon, all laid out on a tray.

11 and 3 were Granddads tea and pipe time, and nothing would ever change that.

Granddad died of cancer in May 1995, while I was at Uni.

The day after the funeral I went round to visit my Nan to say goodbye before I headed back up North.

11 am came around and I said ‘Want me to put the kettle on Nan?’

And she looked at me, smiled, and said

‘Thanks love, but now that old bastard has gone I’ll have my tea whenever I want it’

Methinks they were not as happily married as we’d been led to believe…
( scarpe We Stole Bikes, Fri 21 Nov 2008, 11:55, 3 replies)

Heheh
Almost brought a tear to my eye that... then cackled with glee!
( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Fri 21 Nov 2008, 12:34, closed)

It just occured to me
that you may think this was a joke.

Especially after my 'Nan swallowed a fly' story.

It was not a joke. ;)
( scarpe We Stole Bikes, Sat 22 Nov 2008, 15:56, closed)

:(

( spimf ™ is whoever you want him to be, Sat 22 Nov 2008, 0:08, closed)