Sunday 7 February 2010

It's In The Genes, Grandpa

Grandpa would have been a brilliant blogger. True, it's hard to know where he would have found the time (he built bookcases and dollshouses, he entered competitions, he won everything from a car to a coffee table); but he would have loved it. He wrote whenever he could. When I went to London on my first-trip-away-from-home he sent a poem to keep me company. When I started a family magazine he was an enthusiastic subscriber and contributor. And when I won a school poetry competition he made me feel as if I'd scored a Nobel Prize. At roughly the age I am now he looked like this:


which is about as handsome a Grandpa as any girl could wish for. We all change, of course, because on the day I really want to tell you about I looked like this:

and together we looked a little like this:

It was a fine summer's day. My first birthday, in fact, and Grandpa had taken me out for a walk in my pram. Just the two of us. I expect he was chatting or singing when suddenly his foot hit something and he bent down and picked it up. It was an old coin; and he put it in his pocket as we went on our way. But when he got home he took out that coin and he sat down and he wrote this:


I came across it again the other day when I was looking for something else. Perhaps that's why I scrapbook. That need to pin down a moment? I think I was born with it.

28 comments:

debs14 said...

What a lovely story.
He sounds like he was a very special man.
Sian, you and I have three things in common.
Red hair.
My mum used to make me wear my hair in two bunches (pig tails?) high on my head
My maiden name was Wright.
Could we be related?!!!

Cheri said...

How absolutely precious. I wish I had stories like that about my grandparents!

Ruth said...

Sian, that is such a touching story, and you've told it beautifully.

Claire said...

Lovely story, I love scrapping about my grandparents, they have some great stories.
x

scrappyjacky said...

Another wonderful story,Sian....what a great grandad.

Julie Kirk said...

Lovely Sian. There's definitely a family resemblance between you and your Grandpa! It would have been my Grandma's birthday last week and I'd been thinking about how she collected 'bits+bobs' and ephemera and shiny things she found .... like you say, it's in the genes xx

CATRIN said...

I really like this. You'll have to show me what he wrote.

Heather said...

Thanks for sharing such a personal little treat!! I loved my Grandad & would love to be able to chat to him now :)

Maria Ontiveros said...

Sian,
Awesome story, awesome pictures, awesome writing. Your grandpa was definitely quite a looker! And you were too cute to believe in your pram - I keep trying to figure out what you're wearing? It almost looks like an angel or knight costume?
Thanks for sharing the loveliness,
Rinda

humel said...

Just beautiful :-) Such precious moments - can't wait to see how you scrapbook it x

Amanda said...

How lovely that you still have this note to treasure. You must have known that someday it would make the perfect scrapbook story......I look forward to seeing it. I've been seeking out some photos today of my grandparents for a project and have come across some interesting finds too.

Unknown said...

A lovely story and indeed a great reason to scrapbook.

Ally said...

uch a lovely story and beautifully told. Thank you for sharing your precious moments.
xx

Tinkertaylor said...

What a lovely story/memory and how thoughtful of your Grandpa to record it. Are those reins you're wearing in your pram? I had some of those too!

Rachel Brett said...

Lovely story Sian, thanks for sharing.

Scrappi Sandi said...

That is such a lovely story...I love everyday memories like this!

Deb @ PaperTurtle said...

Oh my gosh, Sian. What a wonderful story and priceless keepsake. Beautifully written!

Cheers!

Deb @ PaperTurtle said...

PS: the photos are lovely. Grandpa was very handsome, and you look like an angel.

Amy said...

This is the treasure of life :-)

Lizzie said...

What a wonderful man! You were lucky to have such a grandpa, Sian. My grandpa was lovely too, though I didn't see him often. I have several fond memories of being with him. He used to take me & my little sister for a walk in the fields round his house and he always sang us "I've got sixpence" - I still love that song!

Denise said...

That's so lovely and I can definitely see a resemblance in you and Grandpa.How lovely that you still have the note too x

Liberty :) said...

having recently lost my beloved grandad, this brought a tear to my eye. Its just beautiful that he would think to do this.

I came across a note from my gdad saying "dear kate, luv you loads, grandad xxx ps - look after mum and dad"..dont know when he gave it to me but found it just after his funeral. It sits next to his picture that looks down on me every day and I cherish that he wrote it.

He also kept every picture drew or school concert programme i was ever in and made six old skool scrapbooks with it, that was another one to cherish.

Finally he wrote his war memoires in a scrapbook after I asked him to about three years ago.

I reckon its just in the genes too :)

Rhona said...

How wonderful that you knew your grandad and have this letter and penny. He sounds like he was a grandpa who loved you very much. Unfortunately, I never knew my grandparents as we moved overseas when I was three but from the stories I've been told, I think my grandpa would have been quite special too.
Thanks for sharing your story.

Alana said...

Another lovely tale you have told. A scrapping page awaits this photo and letter me thinks!

Carrie said...

What a sweet post, how nice to have that letter!

Angela said...

Sian this is a lovely story - how thoughtful of him. I can def see a resemblance between your handsome grandpa and you!

Ifa said...

What a beautiful story Sian, thank you for sharing.My own dad used to make scrapbooks (with those black sugar paper! ) and I've always wanted to fill them up.

Anonymous said...

Oh my, what a wonderful story--and keepsake!

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