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A Victorian Lady

Archive - Originally posted on "The Horse's Mouth" - 2005-08-23 06:26:59 - Graham Ellis

My Grandmother - "Gran" - would have been 112 today. She was born when Victoria was on the throne and when the professional classes lived in bigger houses and had servants to help with the running of the place. My early memories are of a sliding door to their kitchen in Ainsdale, Lancashire when my Mum took me around to see them living next door (picture). Those are early memories as the family moved to North West Kent in 1959 when my Dad took his first computer job - transferred South by Midland Bank to work at their "Punched Card Accounting Department" which developed into "Card Services" with a staff of well over 100, with Dad managing. However, this is Gran's story; Dad's remarkable story will keep.

My Grandfather and Gran moved South with the family, but Grandfather passed away a few years later. My childhood in Petts Wood, living with Mum and Dad, with frequent visits to Gran two roads away. She was remarkable, gentle, sprightly right through that time there. Many was the time that I would take her out for a drive. *She* had the family car - and old Jaguar bought new in about 1961 by Grandfather, and Dad used the train to commute. And we took longer trips too; Mum, Dad, Gran and me on holiday. Mum and Dad going off one day by train, me and Gran in the car, then swapping around the next day.

I can remember driving the Jag over Beallach nam Ba - the old single track cattle-pass road to Applecross that was the only way in to the village until a few years ago. And I can remember taking Gran on the "King George V" as she sailed out of Oban for the day to visit Fingal's cave on Staffa, and the Holy island of Iona. The only way ashore at Iona was on a tender and the sea was a bit rough; I told Gran to "Let the burly sailors" who were standing either side of the doorway help her ... and she did. She was always game for such an adventure and the island was worth it. But she did remark that "the sailor on the left wasn't all that burly ...."

I owe all of my family a lot. Today's a day I remember and celebrate Gran.

(N.D.Ellis (Dora), 1893 - 1986)