My Nana
My Nana is an amazing person, who's had a very shit life. She was born in Latvia, and when she was a teenager she had to move to a refugee camp in Germany to escape the Russian invasion. She never saw any of her family again. When in the camp, she was raped, more than once. She married my Grandad when she was 20, and moved to England, despite not being able to speak the language. He was a violent alcoholic who didn't want kids, and pushed her down the stairs when she was 8 months pregnant, so she lost the child. He stole from anyone around them, and finally died when my mother was 16. His family, to this day, still blame her for his alcoholism and general cock-headedness, and refuse to speak to her, despite her seeing them as her only family for 25 years. She met another guy, who became very ill after they had only been together a short time, and became his carer for the rest of his life. On her 79th birthday last year, I spoke to her about her life, and how she had coped with the hardships she had suffered, and this is what she said to me:

"Well, you just have to get on with it, don't you?"

Legend.

Oh, and may I mention, that at 79, she still climbs the trees in her back garden to get the fruit, and visits her less able friends every day to help them out, and still finds the time to do catering at the Latvian club every week (about 100 people). She also loves a good piss-up with me and my mum, and she's hard as nails (Mr. Anodyne calls her Rambo).

My Nana is awesome.
(BelladonnaAnodyne Melissa's gonna wet herself, I swear..., Mon 24 May 2010, 17:01, 8 replies)

She sounds amazing
And about 100x harder than me as well. I need to man up!!
(RVD420 has his world coming down on, Mon 24 May 2010, 17:09, closed)

without wishing to sound like an old git
people don't realise what some of our grand parents went through, compared to our relatively easy life's. Apreciate her while you can. When I realised how much of a legend my grandad was he had died. He was a policeman during the war (II) and saw some pretty nasty things, people burning alive in the blitz etc..never used to talk about it though surprisingly. His cliam to fame was on VE day. He was pictured next to Winston Churchill while he was giving the victory sign from his roller (tried to look for picture and failed, too many), again only learnt about this after he died. I tell anyone that has their grandparents still around to appreciate them, especially if they have led an intersting life....i don't have many regrets in life but that is definately one of them.
(bROKEN aRROW PUA HVI Master, Mon 24 May 2010, 17:48, closed)

You should contact one of these
www.winstonchurchill.org/
or
www.blenheimpalace.com
Find that picture!

Nans and grandads are tuly amazing.
( Herb Alpert's Taxi Driver I have very beautiful lips, Mon 24 May 2010, 20:50, closed)

Thanks Herb!
I will check this out later and see if I can spot him. I do have a copy of the original from my mum which I have hanging on my wall in my dining room but good to know there may be other sources I can get this from just in case it gets damaged. Thanks again!
(bROKEN aRROW PUA HVI Master, Tue 25 May 2010, 10:48, closed)

Can't find the picture anywhere sadly
I have a feeling the picture was taken by a friend of my Grandad's because the only pictures I seem to find are all on the outskirts of trafalgar sqaure :( Looks like the pros didn't get very close due to crowd mass.
(bROKEN aRROW PUA HVI Master, Tue 25 May 2010, 11:10, closed)

Nans
are awesome
( Glovington, Mon 24 May 2010, 20:43, closed)

Something didn't quite ring true with
I thought 79 was far too young to remember the Soviet invasion of Latvia. But then I read up on it, so I get a good anecdote and a history lesson too.

*click
( sandettie light vessel automatic New Twitter - @bollocksreally, Mon 24 May 2010, 21:16, closed)

She is, clearly. :-)
(wasps Optic Cockles, Tue 25 May 2010, 22:23, closed)