My parents immigrated to Australia in the early 1950s with me and my brother. We both had our favourite Nans, he favouring the other one most of his life, and I this one. As a young child I did not write many letters to her, other than to thank her for the books she religiously sent every birthday, but when I reached my teens and lived away from home, I wrote to her every day and sent the letter by airmail to UK. We had a special bond - one that may have even been kept secret from my parents. I was away for school, and they had no knowledge on how often I wrote to Nan.
Way back in my teens we plotted for me to fly to UK on my 21st Birthday. Twenty one I had to be before I got the key to the door, and that meant leaving home too. I had only returned to live at home at 18, so the next three years seemed very long to wait, but at the same time I squirrelled away my wages until I had raised enough money for the return fare - but I only bought a one way ticket.
I told my parents I would be back in three months time, but three months with my Nan, I felt I was in heaven, we lived in a small one bed flat together (the three of us - Nan got married again soon after, although they only had about five years together before he died) and we were a happy threesome. Life could not be different. I never returned home!
During the next three years of living in cramped but happy conditions, the house where Nan's flat was was put up for sale, which meant that she needed to be re-housed. She turned down two places, because she insisted I go with her. But no this was her life, and I must move on. So I rented a bedsit nearby, so that I could visit her everyday.
Nan had a new granddaughter who she looked after every single day from the day the baby was born, while my Aunt went to work. Very hard work for a woman who was already in her 70s. But she did, until my cousin went to school at five years old and Nan continued to look after her after school each day. .She also looked after her ill husband til the day he died.
Nan was very creative - she crocheted hundreds of garments for friends, family and strangers. I remember she had one pattern of a cardigan, that everybody loved, and during a period of time she had crocheted 65 orders. Then there was the couple who were getting married - she crocheted a top, pair of hot pants and a cape in white for the Bride, seems odd now but that was the fashion. She also crocheted me many things including three dresses, and rather than throw them out many years later, I unpicked them all and Nan crocheted them into her blanket, which I have on my bed to this day.
I can thank Nan for what I am today. She is definitely my Guardian Angel, and even now when I am in a spot of bother, I only have to think of her and things go right again. Thank you Nan. Love you always.
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