Life through a lens - Tribute Tuesday, My Nan

Tribute Tuesday this week brings you my Nan, well one of them. This is my Nanny Williams.

Back in 2007 on her 84th birthday

There is a 50 year age gap between my Nan and I and 80 between her and Callum. She celebrated her 80th birthday (June) and I celebrated my 30th birthday (August) and between those months (July) Callum was born.

She was born in Southern Ireland and moved over here in World War II where she met my Grandad. They got married and settled down to live here in England. Even though she has lived here all those years she still has her Southern Ireland accent which when she goes back home gets even stronger.

She has several names and I'm still never sure which is her true name. lol I think it's Johanna but then she has Joan, Hanna, Joanna and so on and so on. I remember my Mum telling me that they had about 3 sets of records down her doctors for her under different names. Only my Nan. lol.

She is the oldest of her siblings and sadly the only one living... which she reminds us of all the time. A phonecall with my Nan will go something like this.

You: How are you Nan?
Nan: Still breathing unfortunately...

I used to spend a good portion of my childhood at my grandparents and have many fond memories of those times. I remember summer evenings sitting in the garden at the Holly Bush pub and walking home in the dark from there. I remember on a Saturday after she'd been shopping my grandad and I sitting in the kitchen eating all the cheese she'd just bought with crackers and being told off by her, but in that loving caring way. When I was ill she'd make me hot lemonade. Lots of happy memories. I even remember all the church services we went to. Oh and she would always make you breakfast in bed, we used to argue over who would go and stay with her just so we could get breakfast in bed.

I can't remember how old I was exactly but I must have been a teenager. I'd not long gotten a brace for my teeth and we were going on a family holiday to our farm house in Ireland. As there wasn't enough room in the car to fit us all I got the pleasure of flying out there with my Nan. It was the first time I'd flown anywhere. One of the things I remember is being nervous about my new brace setting off the metal detector so because it was one of those removable ones I took it out, cleaned it and wrapped up in tissues/hankies and put it in her handbag. I also think that was the same year that when we went to fly back home the airline didn't have a seat booked for me on the plane, she kicked up a stink and we ended up spending most of the day at the airport while they found a plane with two spare seats as she refused to leave me on my own.

She managed to burn pizza. Daz always remembers this as it was one of the first times we'd been to visit her. The gas man had been to check something out and she'd forgotten that she had put a pizza on to cook. Daz could smell the pizza cooking... and then burning and didn't know what to do. My nan then remembered she had a pizza cooking for our lunch and proceeded to serve up burnt pizza. To his credit Daz ate it but he has never had pizza cooked by my Nan again.

She makes the best trifle, it's also the most lethal and before any kids taste it an adult has to. Why? Well she likes to put a drop of booze in, the only thing is that she then can't remember if she has or not put any in and so adds more....several times. Still it's pretty tasty.

She once told me that we have things to much easier these days with dating etc. Her words were "You get to test drive before committing, we never had that option, you're so lucky."

Even though my Grandad has been dead for many many years she has never re-married or as far as I know met anyone else. My sister Eleanor when she was really young used to try and find a man for my Nan and would point out some old man while they were out down the shops asking if he would do. lol. I think when you find that perfect someone nobody can ever replace them.

If you told her a secret she'd take it to the grave, you can trust her with anything.

She's a one in a million nan, brilliant, kind, caring and funny. Love you Nan... not that you'll probably ever see this. lol.