Ode To Nanna Darling

On Monday 15th July 2019 at 1205, the lady I called nan also known as Audrey Yeates passed away.

To me, nan had a couple of names: Nanna Darling – because she always said darling, and simply Nan. She wasn’t just any Nan, I used to think the programme super gran was based on my Nan because she was super gran.

Nan taught me the joys of doughnuts, I refused to try one until nan cut it open and said look it has jam in it, since that day doughnuts were known as Jammits. Nan used to have a large box full of buttons, I’m sure every child’s Nan has the same box. This box of random buttons was my favourite toy and provided me with hours of happiness every time we stayed round nan’s, which was quite often.

when was younger and in a pushchair, I used to hate the noise planes made when in the sky. Nan went on holiday, mum pointed at the sky and said Nan is in that plane. After that, I would always point upwards and exclaim “ooooh loooook, nan is on that plane!” Even when nan was next to buggy and say “but I’m here.” I would look up at the plane then back at nan and say “how did you get up there and back here so quick!”

Me and nan would always go blackberry “hunting” as she called it, in the hope we could make a crumble. Think we only ever made two over the years, I would always eat them as we picked them and the ones that survived, would usually end up being eaten by nan and me as we washed them.

Growing up, every Saturday nan would come round and visit. She would always hide sweets in her bag, one part of the magic that nan had was hiding sweets in the Mary poppins bag (it seemed to have everything in), no matter how hard I looked, could never find the sweets she had in there.

Then there was “Asbo nan” why asbo nan? Where she used to live a few years back, she had problems with a neighbour in the flat above – this all stemmed from their cat having a poop in her plant outside flat door and telling neighbour they should pick up their cat’s poo as well as nan also shutting the security doors and the neighbour having a go at nan. It resulted in the neighbour throwing cat poo at her front door and purposely leaving the security door or slamming it, nan reported it and so the neighbour reported nan claiming she was abusive etc, so nan had a leaflet given to her by the local PCSOs (Police Community Support Officer) about Anti-social behaviour, it explained about something called an ASBO – anti-social behaviour order. After this, nan always claimed she had an asbo, so we started calling her asbo nan.

Nan was also the first person I got semi drunk with. How? I was staying with nan and we went to a jumble sale, she was looking after a stall and it was a lovely sunny hot day. Nan disappeared and returned with two plastic cups, she opened her bag and produced a large can of white lightning cider which we had half each, cue a very giggly nan and a very giggly me. Her friend asked what was so funny, when nan showed her friend the empty can in her bag, her friend exclaimed “Audrey!!!!” Cue nan giggling.

I have very fond memories of nan telling me her stories: living with her nan during World War Two, riding down a country lane on her bike and having to jump into a ditch because she thought the low flying airplane was German, to hiding under a table as planes flew over. Nan hated green sleeves song because that’s all her dad played and the falling out with him after her mum’s death because he threw away all her nat king Cole songs as he thought they were her mum’s. Then there’s nan’s reason for hating liquorice – she worked in the all-sorts factory and would take a few off the conveyor belt as well as the ones that didn’t pass inspection, she ate so much it put her off for rest of her life. The special one that always made her smile was telling me that grandad used to play unforgettable by nat king Cole on his clarinet for her.

When staying with nan, I remember nan would always sing another nat king Cole song when I fall in love when washing up. She would take me with her to help clean and tidy grandad’s grave. Nan would always chat away to him as she cleaned, hummed when I fall in love and unforgettable as she tidied and got me to join in with her chats.

When your nan gives massive approval of your husband to be (now husband) and exclaims “I never liked your first one, knew he was bad for you and wouldn’t treat you how you should be treated” you know you have the best nan. She would always look out for hubby’s blue Clio and rush to balcony to wave us hello or goodbye. The day he changed the car to a white one we knew. “I liked the blue car, could always see it’s you in the car park, I can’t see you from the balcony in the white one.”

My last memory of nan is a happy one, that was seeing Nan on Thursday 11th July, I spent just under an hour with her. Nan recognised me straight away, held her hand out and took mine which she hugged. She said Sam I Love You, I played her nat king Cole’s unforgettable to which she hummed along to and when his song when I fall in love played, she moved her hand to her lips and had a far away look as though she was thinking and smiled.

My Nan, my nanna darling was and still is a very special woman. Someone who was strong willed (some would call it being stubborn), had an incredible love for her family and I admire the strength of love she held for my grandad after his passing in 1980, she stayed loyal to him throughout the years and never remarried.

To nan, here are the words you always said to us every night when you tucked us in to sleep and they feel fitting: Love you. Night night, and god bless x